The Lullaby of the fallen ones
by Wavywavy
Summary: Sometimes, she would look up to the sky, praying for forgiveness that wasn't even meant for her. Even though she was sure she was going straight to hell.
1. Chapter 1

**The Lullaby of the fallen ones**

**Chapter one:** _A cane muto et aqua silente cave tibi _

I rolled over the bed, pressing a pillow against my ear to block the mocking calls I have been receiving from my partner for the past seven minutes. Why couldn't he just let me be for a while? He knew that last night I had returned late from my part-time job at the restaurant and was currently feeling exhausted.

Something poked me repeatedly in the back, making me know that I wasn't going to have my precious sleep any time soon.

"Oi, Hika-chan" singed a silky voice for what appeared to be the hundredth time. I groaned in response and waved my hand violently in his direction; fully knowing I wouldn't be able to land a hit on him, but still trying.

"Come on Hikari, you know that you can't afford being late to school... again. You'll sleep during your entire lessons anyways." The voice insisted, this time the tone growing a bit more serious.

"Awww Caliel, please. Just five more hours" was my tired reply before proceeding to ignore him completely once more. This time, I heard him sigh. As the seconds passed, I could feel myself drifting once more into my wonderful land of dreams, which basically consisted in a mountain of cookies, cakes and other pastries. Those things where so sinfully delicious, I had sometimes wanted to be a man so I could eat as much as I wished without going fat. Lucky men and their bloody testosterones, they were able to lose weight easily thanks to those little suckers.

Suddenly, the covers were tore away from me, leaving my body exposed and letting the morning chill creep through my skin and giving me goose bumps.

Now, that woke me up.

I jolted out of my bed, growing really irritated. My hazel eyes encountered Caliel's vibrant blue ones, which had a playful gleam. Mouth twitching, it was obvious that he was trying not to laugh at my frowning expression. His grey hair was in his usual messy form, bangs falling over his face. I narrowed my eyes, sending him a death glare for making fun of me, even though he knew about my incapability of handling mornings.

"You stupid, sadistic, evil prick..!" I started whining. The demon shushed me, putting a finger on my lips, instantly stopping every protest and curse I had prepared for him. With a teasing gesture, he pointed at the blue alarm clock on my nightstand

My eyes widened in realization.

Caliel reached his limit and exploded in laughter as he saw me running like a cockroach from one direction to another, attempting to put my uniform while eating a bread and then brushing me teeth while lacing my shoes.

"For God's sake, Caliel. Why didn't you attempt to wake me up earlier? No, wait. A better question; what in the heaven's name happened to my alarm clock?!" I interrogated him while pocking his chest with an accusing finger. His rib cage vibrated as he chuckled.

"Well…" he started, suddenly grabbing my hand "I saw you were so tired last night, and it was so cold in the early morning that your whole body was freezing and trembling. So I decided to turn off the alarm and snuggle a bit with you." He titled his head innocently and I saw his black feathered wings opening and closing slowly as he breathed.

"Or is that a problem now?" He finished with a whisper, sadness flashed through his eyes for a brief moment. He was faking it, that much was obvious, but seeing him show any kind of pain made my heart clench hurtfully. Caliel knew this, but he still enjoyed to show me these kinds of expressions. I liked to think it was because he just got a kick out of it, but the truth was different. His only intention was to confirm a certain truth.

Caliel was such a fool sometimes.

_Verae amicitiae sempiternae sunt_

"Wha-! No of course not! A- anyways, don't try to change the subject!" I yelled at him, my stuttering voice being the evidence of my dissipating anger. Memories crept into my mind, from when I was a little child and my guardian angel would climb next to me in the bed and sing lullabies until I fell asleep. My glare softened.

A sigh of defeat came out of my mouth, earning a victory smirk from the ash haired man. Oh no, I wasn't going to lose this battle AGAIN. Freaking demons and their innocent puppy charm. Why did this keep surprising me? They could make war in a matter of seconds and nobody would ever blame them.

"W-well it's your fault for doing things like this! It makes it appear like you are trying to anger me on purpose." If he thought that my nagging would stop just there, he was so wrong! I was definitely not losing this argument.

"Oh, but I do try to anger you in purpose. If you haven't noticed, that's actually one of my favourite hobbies."

Of course. I almost forgot about that. I really wasn't a morning person.

If this were an American cartoon, my jaw would have been hitting the floor, probably piercing the wood tiles and making a hole. "By the way, you are still late." He added with a smug smirk.

Well, guess he won this match again. Oh damn.

Bursting out of the room, I ran downstairs, pretty much almost falling midways and having Caliel grabbing me from my shirt's collar. My mother came out of the kitchen, looking mildly surprised while holding a bentou box.

"Hikari, how come…" I clamped a wet kiss on her cheek and took the delicious smelling lunch from her hands before she could finish.

"No time to explain. Ciao mama! I'm going!"

I ran as if the devil was chasing behind me (which technically it was, considering that Caliel was following me). The good thing about having so many part-time jobs and being always late was that I was running all the time, so stamina wasn't an issue. Daikoku High School was gradually appearing before my eyes, making me slightly relieved. Oh yes, I was so going to make it.

Entering the building, I ran across the corridors and up the stairs, barely avoiding coalition against a couple of students, who in return tried to set me in fire with a glare.

"I AM SO SORRY! IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN!" As soon as I reached my class, I violently threw the sliding door to the side, bowing mi head in an apologetic gesture.

Holding my breath, I quietly expected the unforgiving teacher's scolding. When nothing but silence greeted me, I found myself raising my head only to end up watching confused an empty classroom. The black angel floating beside me started to chuckle. It didn't take more than a couple of seconds before his giggles became more hysterical, ending up in a grotesque laughter. It was then when I realized what had happened.

Feeling my eye twitch, I decided to take a look through the windows. It wasn't dark, but the sun was barely rising over the horizon. My eyes then fell on the clock above the teacher's desk; it was just half past six.

I was one hour too early in school. One HOUR.

"Caliel, dear, you didn't mess with my alarm clock to make me believe that I was late, did you?" the question didn't come out louder than a whisper, making my voice appear ten times more dangerous.

"Uh, well…" he started, rubbing his neck with fake sheepishness. "Early bird catches the worm?" Caliel finally offered with a tone which was practically soaked in faux virtue.

"Urgh, Caliel you…" Never mind. I wasn't going to let him get in my nerves at this point. It had been my entire fault anyways, for not noticing the obvious since the beginning. In the first place, my mother always waked up way earlier before me so she could make me lunch and prepare herself for work. Normally, she had already left for the time I actually got up for school.

Secondly, the school was basically empty. I had run into a few students in my way to the classroom, yes. But trying to remember their faces, I realized that they were probably student council members who had important matters to take care of. This realization made me feel absolutely silly, and I loudly groaned to myself.

"Well, at least now you can study for that quiz you have today." My eyes bulged from their sockets as I stared astonished at Caliel.

"What do you mean?" He smirked at me and patted my head.

"Yeah, remember last Thursday when your history teacher said that you would have a pop quiz this week? Probably not because you were sleeping. But yesterday I saw him revising some answer sheets so I assume that you are going to write that quiz today. You forgot your history books here, hence, why I woke you up so early."

"Well, that's just peachy. The first period is history. You could have informed me yesterday about this, you know?"

"Oh no, that wouldn't have been fun at all." I scowled at him "Now now, less ranting and more learning." He shook his hands, signalling me to hurry up.

Heaving a sight, I retrieved my books from below my desk and started studying. Although still feeling tired, I concentrated on the texts, absorbing all the information I could about them. At least I knew what I had to study. Despite sleeping through the lessons and not participating in class, I always did my homework and studied hard for the exams. Teachers found this infuriating, because even if it seemed I had no interest in their subjects, I always passed their exams with flying colours. Because of that, there were always rumours about me cheating in order to pass the year. The truth was that my family's current financial situation left me no option other than to take different part-time jobs, barely leaving me with free time. My sleeping schedule was really unhealthy, consisting in working during the afternoon, studying during the night and napping during the day. Luckily, I had Caliel who would always inform me about the subjects I had to review. He would sometimes give me tips, as well. And help me with the most difficult homework.

Yeah, I had basically reduced a demon to my personal nerd.

After some time, I decided to look at the clock again and found out it was already half past seven, which meant school would start in thirty minutes. I stretched my stiff limbs, hearing a crack from their joints.

"How is it going?" The demon asked from his spot in front of the classroom's window without looking at me.

"I guess I will not fail." I answered, shrugging my shoulders and yawning lazily. Caliel turned his head, watching me with slight content. I took some time to admire him, observing how ethereal he seemed at the moment. Black feathers contrasted against his pale white skin and his usual grey hair glowed almost bluish thanks to the morning light. His eyes glittered with the innocence he still possessed despite the circumstances. I smiled at him, finding myself quite happy as well. For being considered one of the most repulsive entities in the spiritual world, he was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. He smiled back, and I could feel my heart filling itself with warmth.

These moments were ones of the most special to me in the world, when we would say everything to each other, without uttering a single word. _Verae amicitiae sempiternae sun,_indeed.

"If you are not going to study anymore, why don't you go to the bathroom to groom yourself a little? Your hair is quite the mess" He suddenly said with a mocking smirk. I rolled my eyes, both amused and annoyed for his ability to ruin such a peaceful moment.

"Sì sì, idiota."

"Hey, bambina. That's no way to talk to me." Caliel laughed, flying next to me as I stood up and made my way out of the classroom. He opened the door, which gained a scolding from me.

"Don't do things like that! What if somebody sees you?"

"Nobody is in the classroom, how could anyone see me?" He rolled his eyes.

"Of course they won't see you. They will see a door magically opening itself." I retorted irritated.

"Yeah, that's not a problem for me. They will probably relate it to your weirdness." My brow furrowed in annoyance and facing Caliel while walking down the hallway, I did the stupidest thing I could have done in that moment.

"God, you are an idiot. Just shut up!" I tried to swat him behind his head playfully, tipping on my toes to reach him. His eyes widened but nevertheless he dodged. I smiled pleased, thinking that I may have surprised him, until I realized that Caliel was watching something, or rather someone else behing my back. Letting the offender hand fall by my side again, I swallowed a lump in my throat and slowly turned my head. A pair of questioning brown eyes encountered my nervous hazel ones. I realized who my witness had been, and wanted to kick myself for being so careless.

"Ah, good morning Yagami-san." Was my pathetic attempt on greeting him and trying to appear normal after the show he witnessed.

"Good morning, Ianni-san." He responded, his eyes were slightly narrowed and his voice was tainted with uncertainty, as if I had a mental instability and would attack him if he said the wrong thing. He tried to smile despite the awkwardness, but that didn't make the smile seem less forced than it was.

"Uh, this is not what it looks like." Was the start of my lame excuse- "Uhm…? I was practicing for the theatre club." Luckily, that lie had actually sounded like a statement and not a question.

"You are in the theatre club?" He asked. His handsome features relaxed a bit, finding my explanation reasonable but probably not buying it.

"Ah, not really. But I was planning on entering to the theatre club, so better practice for the auditions, eh? Hehehe" I laughed sheepishly and cleared my throat, not knowing what else to say. We remained uncomfortably quiet after that, but neither Light nor I dared to make the next move. I was starting to count the number of dust particles when Yagami Light decided to break the silence. Thanks God he was a social butterfly.

"How come you are here so early?" He decided to ask politely.

"Well, I forgot some books in the classroom and I needed them to study for the quiz."

"The history pop quiz? How would you know it is today?" he questioned me, still smiling, even though I could have sworn there was a hint of accusation in his voice.

"I kind of had a feeling." I explained simply. If he was unconvinced, he didn't show it.

"Well, you are fortunate to have a sixth sense. If not, you would be in trouble considering how you are always sleeping in class. Luck is an ability I would also love to have." His smartly veiled insult and sudden light laugh made my muscles tense and I had to force myself to keep smiling. I was aware how popular the schmuck was. Not only in the "_Casanova_" sense, though I wasn't about to deny that about five out of six girls had a crush on him, but he seemed perfect in every area he laid his eyes upon; These ranged from academics and athletics to social skills.

Plus he was quite the looker. It wasn't really a mystery why he was favoured by teachers and our classmates. So being on his bad side wasn't the brightest idea I could ever have.

Sure, he appeared to be friendly enough. He didn't really brag about his intelligence- _Everyone else already did it for him_\- and was the type of person who was willing to lend a helping hand if he was asked to, but still…

His eyes; It were his eyes the responsible of these nerve wracking sensations that surged through my spine every time he would look at me. Like chewing-gum stuck in the soles of his perfectly polished shoes, he looked at me as if I was insignificant, but still annoying enough to be a bother.

"Well…" I abruptly interrupted the conversation before it could go any further. He seemed eager to leave my presence, anyways. "Hehe, yeah… I have to go so, see you later, I suppose." I nodded at him, and started to walk as far as I could from him without waiting for his response, not even trying to hide my distress. Once I was in the bathroom, I splashed some cold water on my face, as if trying to wash away the recent troublesome encounter.

"You messed up this time." Caliel sighed while brushing my honey brown locks with his fingers to make me look presentable.

"I'll add this one to the list of people who think I'm crazy." I shrugged. "I really don't care at this point. He is kind of an ass anyways." The demon chuckled, still fixing my hair. A sudden rattle outside the washroom gained my attention, informing me about the arrival of other students. Drying my hands with a paper towel and throwing it into the bin, I decided it was time to return to the classroom. I was making my way back when; I noticed a group of girls glancing at me strangely. I visibly rolled my eyes, barely refraining from grunting out loud. Recognizing my annoyed glare, they immediately turned away and started murmuring among themselves. Clicking my tongue, I began to walk faster. It was most likely too early to deal with that kind of gossip crap and I was definitively not in the mood. I was stomping violently at this point.

Reaching my destination, I slumped on my seat and huffed, ignoring the stares that some of my classmates were throwing at me. It was impossible not to notice them, for I seated in the last row, hiding safely in the classroom's corner, but being able to watch every single corner of the room. I was aware that this probably only made me look more like the antisocial little weirdo everyone thought I was, but really; who needs reputation when you are a kickass medium who is contracted to a demon? Besides, it's not like I had no friends. I had friends outside the school, and I got along with my seniors, who happened to be my former classmates. Yeah, I actually repeated a year, guess that didn't do anything to improve my reputation.

The pop quiz had been rather easy, not including a half of the subjects I had learned, which was infuriating but nevertheless reassuring. The three next periods went unsurprisingly fast, for I was constantly dozing off thanks to sleep deprivation. Teachers had long ago given up on me, and just a few bothered waking me up from my catnap. Without me realizing, the fourth period began and an abrupt and loud bang resonated in front of me, interrupting my sleep. I jolted from my chair, eyes as wide as plates and was greeted by a disapproving look from my English teacher.

_Alright, don't panic,_I thought. _There must be a way to get away from this. Just don't screw it up._

"Uh, goodo morninge Mistar Haru?" I stuttered, spitting the words. The middle aged man furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes dangerously, which made my blood run cold.

Oh, Merda.

"I see your pronunciation is still as atrocious as your academic performance. Did you at least pay attention to anything I said?" Fiddling nervously on my chair, I bit my inner cheek and looked at him insecurely in the eye.

"No sir, I'm sorry."

"Not sorry enough, it seems. Otherwise you would stop with such an unacceptable behaviour." I nodded without looking away from him, refusing to acknowledge the soft laughter that was echoing through the class.

"As I was saying," The English teacher continued to explain, shooting me a final disdainful glance. "For this grade, you are going to have to work in pairs and choose a book of your liking. It has to be from either an American or a British author. Once you have found one, you'll have to select a topic and three subtopics from this said book and analyze them. The presentation must be no longer than twenty minutes and you also have to hand in a two thousand words essay." At this, the whole class groaned, gaining a smirk from Mister Haru. Just great, another sadistic prick. "Relax. You'll have a month for this work, which is more than plenty. Initially, I had planned on giving you just three weeks." Never mind the sadistic part. He was just a complete asshole. He could have given Caliel a run for his money.

"May I ask, Mister Haru," A girl raised her hand. "Can we choose our own partner?" The man looked suddenly amused. The corners of his lips lifted, forming a feline grin.

"Of course you can, except for you, Miss Ianni." My head snapped in his direction. I opened and closed my mouth a few time before finally asking:

"Why?" He sighed, and stared at me as if I were the stupidest creature he ever had the misfortune to meet.

"Your grade in my class leaves much to be desired, Miss Ianni. I'll admit your writing is good and your vocabulary extensive, but you lack discipline and your attention span is shorter than the one of a goldfish." He crinkled his nose in distaste. "Not to mention that horrible pronunciation." At this point, most of my classmates were snickering and I considered flipping some desks to shut them up. "Nonetheless, you are still my student and my job as a teacher obligates me to assure you pass the year. For this reason, I have decided to pair you with my best student, Yagami Light."

The world seemed to stop for a minute.

"Excuse me?" I found myself asking dumbfounded, to which the middle aged man rolled his eyes.

"Do I need to repeat myself again?"

"No, of course not. But…" my gaze trailed to the boy in question, avoiding looking at his face. "Did Yagami- san agree to this?" The English teacher raised an eyebrow before addressing Light. I guess he was staring at him questioningly, because Yagami-san responded immediately in a calm, obedient voice.

"I have no problem, Mister Haru. Ianni-san can be my partner." My eyebrows rose in a disbelieving gesture. 'Can'? I clicked my tongue.

"_I offer you my greatest gratitude for allowing a stupid commoner like me to work with someone as great and incredible as you, King pompous._" The teacher nodded pleased, unlike me.

"There you have, Miss Ianni. You shouldn't have any problems anymore." He beamed. An 'I hope your incompetence won't drag his perfect grade down, you useless brat.' was left unsaid, but I knew it was there. "Now the rest of you, find a partner and start discussing."

At this order, everyone stood up and began pacing around the classroom, searching for their friends. I planned on sitting still on my seat, but an invisible burning sensation on my back told me that Mister Haru wasn't in the mood to deal with my petty acts of rebellion right now. I glanced at Caliel, expecting his trademark mockery over my misery, but he stood strangely still with his arms crossed around his chest and eyes narrowed at Yagami Light.

"Miss Ianni…" Mister Haru's warning cut me off of my musings. I finally stood up and began walking to my partner.

_It has been an especially shitty day. _I thought bitterly. The most recent subject of my discomfort watched me as I paused in front of him. My gaze lingered on him, taking as many details as I could: Yagami Light was indeed the perfect teenager role model, the kind that normally only appeared in the fantasies of a sexually frustrated shoujo manga author; Always pristine, clothes impeccable, hair well combed, extremely smart, handsome, athletic and sociable. He smiled at me with an almost convincing friendliness, pearl white teeth showing. A shudder ran down from my spine and I couldn't avoid clattering my own. His smile didn't reach his eyes; they were positively and undoubtedly blank. 'Inferior', they screamed.

This was certainly a shitty day.

**Hey, Wavy here. I hope you liked the first chapter. I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes, but Spanish is my mother language and not English. What our main character is speaking is not Spanish, but Italian and Latin. Here are the translations for these sentences:**

**A cane muto et aqua silente cave tibi:** Be careful with the dog which doesn´t bark and with silent waters

Verae amicitiae sempiternae sunt: True friendship lasts forever

**Ciao mama:** Bye mom

**Sì sì, idiota:** Yes yes, you idiot.

**Bambina:** Kid (little girl)

**Merda:** Shit

**And that's it. Please review and tell me what you think about this story. And if you know about a good beta reader who is willing to help me then please tell me so.**

***Drops mic* Wavy out!**


	2. Chapter 2: A verbis ad verbera

Chapter 2: A verbis ad verbera

"Onee-tan! Look! Is it pretty?" Tiny fingers tugged at the hem of my blouse, bringing my attention to a vivid and scrawled landscape made by colorful crayons. In the middle of what appeared to be a flowered meadow, stood two feminine stick figures; a woman and a little girl. They were holding hands, their maroon lips stretching in abnormally big smiles, violet butterflies fluttering around them.

"Oh my! Such a beautiful drawing Nene-chan!" The little girl giggled embarrassed and her cherub face was tinted pink. Chuckling at her antics, I kneeled to her level and gently took the drawing from her hands, staring at it in overreacted awe.

"Is that you and me?" She nodded quickly, still a bit flustered from the previous compliment. "I didn't know you thought I was this pretty. I'm flattered, Nene-chan. You really have a gift."

"Hikari Onee-tan IS pretty" She chimed in while grabbing my face in a soft grip, as if to prove her point. Without a warning, her happy expression was quickly replaced by a disheartening pout. "I'm glad Hikari-tan liked it. I thought Hikari-tan would get angrier at me for drawing something like this." I frowned in confusion before slipping on my professional mask again. A gentle hand was placed on the girl's shoulder.

"Why would I ever be angry at you? What gave you that idea?" Her eyes drifted to the floor as she started to twiddle her thumbs.

"Onee-tan has been looking upset since this morning. I thought I had done something wrong." She explained weakly.

Her sullen face was like a slap to mine and I immediately understood what she was talking about. Repressing a grimace, I tried to use the most cheerful voice I could muster.

"Oh, no. I am so sorry Nene-chan, I wasn´t mad at you. A boy was just really mean to me yesterday and I guess I was still a bit ruffled by it." Her dark eyes suddenly lit up after hearing my apology, and that would have put me at ease if it hadn´t been for the mischievous fire that glimmered inside them.

"Heh!? Onee-tan has a prince?!" She squealed and grabbed my hands, making me choke on literally nothing. "How long do you know him? Have you two held hands already? Are you going to have many babies? Can I be the bridesmaid in your wedding? Moooo, you should have told me sooner, Onee-tan!" The infant rambled, puffing her cheeks as she finished. I gawked stupidly at the child in front of me. Her words sank very slowly and once they registered, it took me most of my willpower not to cackle like a maniac and start rolling on my own tears. My effort proved to be in vain and stifled chuckles escaped from my lips. Deciding which idea was the most ludicrous, whether it was that Light could be compared to something as gentle as a prince or him standing next to me on an altar, was certainly being one of the most difficult choices I had yet to make in this week.

"Eeehh?! What's so funny?" The round faced, dark eyed girl gave me a confused look. I cleared my throat and regained my composure before Nene could feel offended. It would have been bad if she concluded that the cause of my amusement was the thought of her being stupid, which was not. Let's just say that the image of Light wearing a peruke and gaudy breeches wouldn't disappear from my mind anytime soon. Good Lord, I would probably think about it every time I felt down. But Yumeni Nene wouldn't know about this, instead she would assume that I was making fun of her. She was really sensitive about her learning disability. Six years of been disparaged and called "slow" by other kids had messed up with the girl's self-esteem. It had been very difficult to earn her trust, even taking me almost a year to do so. Most of the community service volunteers had given up on her, which gained me the job. So I wasn't about to ruin it, especially not thanks to a fantasy involving the same jerk I wanted to forget for now.

"It's nothing, Nene-chan. I just wouldn't call him a prince. He is more like the evil and handsome magician who is behind all the misfortune of the kingdom, but nobody suspects of." My explanation was accompanied by a gentle tap on the child's nose. Instead of nodding comprehensible like I thought she would do, the girl decided to insist.

"Soooo, you admit he is handsome!" I spluttered at this.

"I just said he is evil, Nene-chan…"

"That doesn't matter, Onee-tan! If you say he was annoying you…" She interrupted me, and made a dramatic pause before continuing. Her chest inflated with pride, as if she had just discovered the answer of the universe's existence "Then that must mean he likes you!"

Her words only shook me a bit, already half-expecting such an answer influenced by her childish logic. I pondered on whether to tell her or not that this is not how it exactly worked with grownups. I heard Caliel sigh by my side, and for the first time in a couple of hours, I took notice of him. Usually, I paid him no mind while working or volunteering; not wanting to create more rumors than those that already plagued me.

"Human kids get weirder every generation." I nodded silently and kept on listening the girl's chatter, vaguely hearing something about how handsome villains were so dreamy and mysterious.

"Imagine, an evil magician falling in love with a pure hearted princess! It's really romantic if you think about it, Onee-tan!" She exclaimed, a love-struck expression on her face, as if picturing her own dark knight. "It would be love at first sight for him, and then he would take her to his castle and make her his queen!" Nene was squealing again at this point and I was starting to agree with Caliel. Girls these days were getting creepier if they thought that a story similar to Hades and Persephone's tale was romantic. I mean, I understood that some did. But a man kidnapping a woman and forcing her to stay in his domain, separating her from her family and friends, until she developed Stockholm syndrome, wasn't exactly my idea of a romantic story. Heavens no.

"So, what does he look like? Is he taller than you?" She asked, finally out of breath. **Finally**.

"Yeah, he is like a head taller." I was confused by her sudden random question and responded automatically.

"That's good! Now Nee-tan will be able to hear his heart beat faster while he holds you in his arms!" Hold me in his…?! Nope, I was one hundredth percent done. God, this is why you didn't let children watch soap operas. Caliel shivered visibly next to me. My eyes widened in surprise.

This kid could make a _demon _shiver. And not any demon; she could make arrogant-pain in the arse- kick to my bladder-insufferable-prideful little prat Caliel shiver. _What the actual eff. _A lopsided smile formed on my face and the black angel glared at me. Her babbling wasn't actually that bad. Yep, I should carry this kid more often around me.

"…Do you think I could name one of your seven babies? How about Mizuki, I think it's pretty. Wa- don't look at me like that Onee-tan. Seven babies is the perfect number! Unless you want more! You can make more with him if you want to." She knitted her brows pensive for a moment. "By the way, how do you make babies, Hika-tan?"

Or maybe not. Taking a deep breath, I decided it was time to stop this madness.

"Look, Nene-chan. I know this boy is handsome and all. But he was really mean to me, It doesn´t matter if he likes me or not, he shouldn't do it. Princes should be gentle with their damsels and evil magicians with their princesses. Don't you agree, Nene-chan? Would you stay calm if you saw a boy mistreating me, even if he was handsome?"

My speech appeared to do the trick, because as soon as those words left my mouth, the girl's eyes fell to the floor in shame.

"No…" She muttered. "I would hit him in the special place mommy told me." My eyebrows arched in amusement.

"Special place…?"

"Hai! She told me that if a stranger tried to do something suspicious to me, I should hit him in his special place and run." She lifted her leg in a kicking motion and I laughed. Her mother was teaching her right.

"Oh, first you're a painter, and now a bodyguard as well? Is there something you can't do, Nene-chan?"

"Hikari-san!" My eyes lifted, setting themselves on one of my co-workers who was currently pointing at her wristwatch. I looked at my own cheap one, and found out it was nearly the end of today's program.

"It appears to be time to pack your things up, kiddo." I informed her. She bit her lower lip and gave me the cutest puppy eyes she could muster.

"Mooooo, Hika-tan! At least tell me what he did do to you!"

_What he did do to me, huh?_

It was hard to explain. Most would even find the reasoning childish, which was more than justified if an outsider had been the one to witness our exchange. For a bystander it would have appeared as if Light and I were just discussing our project like civilized people. Hell, even I considered it may have been an overreaction from my part, but replaying the events in my head I finally decided it was not.

"_We should start to do a research on relevant British authors and look for a novel. I'll make a list and…." _As soon as he started with this proposition, I knew that he would try to take the reins of the entire project without asking for my opinion. The meaning of this was clear to me. Light probably thought of me as an useless and incompetent person. And while normally I didn't feel like needing to prove myself to the rest, I decided to take the challenge. This was a matter of pride.

"_Actually, I know the perfect book." _This statement of mine had been accompanied with a confident grin, which threw Light a bit off.

"_Oh, you do?" _He had asked, his voice coated in exposed doubt. His head was leaned casually on his hand as he watched me with barely lidded eyes. I noticed that his skin was porcelain perfect, as if puberty had been an unfamiliar concept to him during his younger years. I casually touched the pimple's scars on my temple, growing a bit resentful towards him and his perfection, but then brushed the ridiculous feelings aside. It would have been foolish to get angry when he wasn't even trying.

"_I was thinking about __The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,__ by Robert Louis Stevenson. Have you heard about it, Yagami-san?" _

"_I have." _He nodded rather absentmindedly. _"It's a well-known title." _

"_It is." _I agreed. _"But even if many have heard about it, just a few have actually read it. The book is a bit short, but that's perfect considering the small amount of time we have._

_Besides, despite its length, the novel has rather a lot of material we can present about. You haven't read the book, have you?" _Strangely that question wasn't aimed to provoke him as I initially planned. I didn't wait for him to answer before continuing.

"_The story revolves around different characters, one being this Lawyer, Utterson, who is Dr. Jekyll's friend. _ _He is strolling one day with an acquaintance when he is told about a man who had trampled over a small child. This man had given his name as Hyde, and was forced by other indignant bystanders to pay a sum of money for the child's welfare." _I had started to summarize the story for him, almost losing the train of thought when I saw he was actually paying attention to me, listening to the story. I cleared my throat and resumed.

"_Well, Utterson becomes naturally interested, because Hyde happens to be the man who will inherit all of Dr. Jekyll's fortune. He finds him and instantly dislikes him. Afterwards he decides to talk with Jekyll, but he refuses to discuss about the topic and insist that what has been written in his will must be executed as it says. The thing is that everything gets complicated about a year later, when Hyde is accused of murder. Lot of events follows subsequently, but to sum everything up…"_

"_Jekyll and Hyde was the same person the whole time." _Light had finished for me; a knowing little smirk was plastered on his face. I returned the smile automatically, not even annoyed by his interruption.

"_I see the ending has already been ruined to you. Well? Doesn't it sound like an interesting topic? I'm talking about dualism; the moral opposites. Jekyll confesses in a letter that since his birth he had been blessed with a large inheritance, a healthy body and a decent nature. He maintains a respectable image in public and hides his darker and more frivolous side. He lives a dual life and feels ashamed of his demons. This leads him to the study of human nature in hope to divide his own. He wishes to separate the good and the evil, accidentally creating his other identity: Mr. Hyde." _The look on Light's expression after finishing my explanation had practically made my entire day.

"_Dualism… that is actually a very good idea." _I must confess that his admission had made me feel quite satisfied with myself. Having Japan's best student acknowledging my idea was gratifying. I had to repress the urge to start bouncing on the spot and whoop about my brilliance while chanting in broken English "In yar face, who's da mastar?!" I was actually quite close to do so.

"_I assume you have a copy you can lend to me, right?_

"_Of course."_

"_Great. It would be the best if we could start this project of ours as soon as possible. We should meet during the weekend." _

"_Sure, Sundays are no problem for me. Uhm… but I'm busy on Saturdays from 08:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Is that an issue?"_

He had stared at me curiously, but didn't ask any more questions _"No, not really. You can come to my house around two o'clock in the afternoon. Give me your number so I can mail you my address." _

Just like that, a truce had been signed between us. There was no tension as we both took our cellphones out of our respective pockets and exchanged numbers. His bothersome arrogance had disappeared alongside my murderous aura. We had reached an understanding, where he had apparently somewhat acknowledged my intelligence, while I conceded he may not have been such an a-hole as I first thought. At that moment, I was patting myself on the back, happy that things had turned out so well. What could have possibly ruined a moment like that? Apparently, my own stupidity. Because somehow, I had forgotten to mention something crucial to my partner-to-be, and this had been the downfall for our short-lived agreement.

"_I don't think that three weekends will suffice. We should also work together some days after school." _Just like that, my smile had vanished and my eyes started wandering in nervousness. His request was simple, even expected. But fulfilling it was impossible for me, and I was already starting to have an idea about how much this was going to affect my recently gained credibility.

"_I'm sorry, Yagami-san… I can't. I'm busy after school from Mondays to Fridays. But we can divide the work and I'll do my share at home, and then we can revise it together at the end of the week." _There is a special kind of student; the typical lackadaisical fellow, the one who barely passes the year thanks to a minimal amount of effort and lots of cheating. Normally, one doesn't care much about those persons, as long as you aren't grouped together with them. Because let's be honest –nobody likes a freeloader –and that's what they basically are during an entire project. Annoying and unproductive, this "freeloaders" will always come at the last second possible with an excuse. They'll never move a single finger unless pressured, and make you work your hands to the bone so they can steal the whole credit at the end of the day. So yeah, not only are they lazy and infuriating, but they're also selfish, blood sucking, little shits who bath in the glory of your accomplishments.

And for the sake of being truthful, I'll clarify that being a drag to rest wasn't something I considered an asset. On the contrary, I preferred to sink alone in the boat than let everyone else drown with me. And I prided myself for this.

But seeing Light's eyes tarnished with exasperation and something akin to resignation had almost made me throw that part of my dignity overboard. In his mind, I was probably being degraded from an inferior being to a mere leech. At that moment, all the things I still had to explain to him –like the fact of my serious commitment to the project, or the truth behind my lack of time –were forgotten and replaced by total blankness instead. So I just waited, preparing myself for whatever complaint, insult or comment he had to give me, because maybe I probably deserved it. And then I would tell him about all the reasons behind my actions in order to reach a compromise. So when his next words had been the ones I hadn't prepared for, I lost it.

"_Ianni-san, you should take this more seriously." _

And Yagami Light had to be given some credit, because I hadn't gotten so tremendously furious since a long time ago. Not just angry, but really, absolutely enraged: That kind of emotional state where it is only possible to imagine at least ten ways to savagely murder the cause of your ire. In a matter of seconds, your soul becomes shaded, your thoughts unclear, instinct takes over and ending up doing something you'll probably regret becomes as easy as snapping your fingers.

And I would have probably done it, if it hadn't been for my guardian demon's warning.

"_Hikari, stop." _Caliel's soothing, but firm voice had broken me out of my trance, regaining me a bit of self-control. The chestnut haired boy was staring intently, waiting for a response –and thanks to my currently blank face –completely oblivious to the turmoil that was taking part inside of my mind. It took a few more seconds before I could pull myself together.

"_I am taking this seriously, Yagami-san. But believe it or not, it just happens that I have work I must attend to." _Then he had blinked in confusion, not much to the venom coating my words, but to the meaning these implied.

"_Work?"_

"_Yes, Yagami-san, I work. Shocking, isn't it?" _The back of my hand reached my forehead dramatically to put emphasis on the sarcasm._"It seems not everyone has the luck to be as privileged as you are." _His eyes widened almost comically and he stared at me as if seeing me for the first time. As soon as I finished that last sentence, I was already regretting it. It had been phrased way too tragic, made me appear as a weak little girl seeking after pity. I glanced around the room to check that nobody was prying into our "conversation", and inwardly sighed. Thankfully, Mister Haru had long stopped paying us attention, and the rest of our classmates were too busy discussing their own ideas.

Light facial features had morphed in honest guilt, though the sensible part of me had stopped caring and brushed his sentimentalisms under a rug of indifference.

"_Ianni-san..." He began softly "I'm truly sorr…"_

"_Don't." _I cut him off_ "Just stop talking. Don't apologize. Just forget about what I said."_

He had opened his mouth, unwilling to drop it off, when suddenly the bell rang, silencing him. Chuckling humourlessly, I stood up and prepared to return to my seat.

"_Don't dwell on it Yagami-san. We still have to choose three subtopics. I'll do my part of the research and tell you on Saturday" _Turning around, I had barely glanced at his direction before adding_"See you tomorrow, I guess. Don't forget to mail me your address." _And that had been a pretty useless reminder, because how could Japan's most brilliant student forget about anything?

So here was I, just done with community service and riding a subway to the Yagami's household. A copy of Stevenson's novel lay inside my backpack. I had almost forgotten it at home this morning, surprised that Caliel hadn't actually reminded me of it. The dark angel seemed to dislike the teenager more than me, and that truly meant something, because normally he either liked someone or just didn't care about that person at all. The show of open hostility was new, and I couldn't help but to wonder how bad Yagami Light was to cause such a reaction from my best friend.

Revising the instructions my partner had indeed sent to me per mail, I decided to get off on the next stop. Making my way through the crowded streets, I saw Caliel wrinkling his nose in disgust. He hated multitudes so much; I had even given him my word on moving to a less populated area once I was independent enough to do so. I couldn't blame him though, because…

"Hurry up and get out of here. It reeks of sin." His tone was low, clearly expressing how deeply irritated he felt. I complied and hurried up my pace for consideration, entering a nicer and emptier neighbourhood without getting off route. The sky had become cloudy, as in synch with my mood. I didn't know whether to thank the day for this, or reprimand it for not trying to make me feel better with a bit of sunshine. And while bitching about my situation wasn't going to make it any better, I still had the right to do so. I would have to spend my next Saturdays and Oh-so-precious Sundays in the company of a big-headed snob, my temples were throbbing thanks to stress, Caliel was currently PMSsing and I was about to meet the family of the very same guy I had wanted to strangle just a day ago. This would be totally not awkward.

_Oh, good afternoon Miss Yagami, nice to meet you. Your house looks absolutely lovely; you have such a good taste. I can´t imagine how a fine woman such as yourself could give birth to that monstrosity you call son. By the way, that piano is magnificent. _

Yep, I wasn't making things easier for me, was I?

"Hikari, we are here." The black angel's voice interrupted me from my musings and I halted my steps to stare at a simple yet beautiful two storey house.

"Ah, so Yagami-dono doesn't live in a palace. How surprising." Caliel chuckled a bit at my dramatics, which gave me the perfect opportunity to mock him.

"Oh my God, you are actually laughing! The end is near!" He rolled his eyes, the hint of a smile still tugging at his lips.

"Stop being a coward and just press the intercom, bambina." He scolded playfully.

Feeling already in a better mood, I did as he said. A few seconds elapsed before a young, feminine voice made itself present.

"Yes? Who is this?"

"Good afternoon." I greeted politely "My name is Ianni Hikari, I'm looking for Light-san." The girl on the other line stayed silent, and I was starting to worry about my partner not being currently at home despite our compromise, or even worse, that he didn't want to see me and was planning on asking Mister Haru for a change of partners. My uneasiness disappeared as the girl started to talk again.

"Sure, wait for a second please." Releasing my breath, Caliel gave me a reassuring smile, indirectly telling me to calm down. I moved my shoulders in a circular motion, in an attempt to loosen their stiffness.

_It's going to be okay. _I chanted in my head. _Tutto andrà bene. Puoi farlo!_

"Liiiiight!" A yell could still be heard from the intercom. "Your girlfriend is looking for you!" I was instantly paralyzed on the spot.

No, I was not going to be okay! What the hell was the deal with girls nowadays?!

* * *

**Heeeeey, Wavy is back! :3**

**Here is the vocabulary list:**

_**Tutto andrà bene: **_Everything is going to be fine.

_**Puoi farlo!: **_You can do it!

**A verbis ad verbera (Latin): **From words to fists.

**Aaand yep, that's it. Oh, I forgot to mention something. Some fans may have noticed that in the real Death Note it is revealed by Ryuk that neither Heaven nor Hell exists. Just Mu (nothingness), so I guess this makes this fanfiction slightly AU as well. Uhm, it's going to be a slightly different Heaven and Hell than those that appear in the catholic religion, but that's something we'll save for later.**

**Thanks to all who followed and favoured the story in the last chapter. And of course, I thank kathumi for my first (and only xD) review. I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes. And a review would be appreciated. Please, help me to become a better writer. I'll try to update as soon as I can.**

***Rides on magic carpet* ¡Adiós, mis primores!**


	3. Chapter 3: Tabula rasa

Chapter three: **Tabula rasa**

Charming adults, especially parents, was in most cases actually quite easy as long as they weren't my teachers, because normally those wanted to shove their fists down my throat. Lucky me, Yagami Sachiko was an easy persuadable woman, so "Il fascino italiano" that I had inherited from father the dearest was working quite well on her. Well, at least I thought it was, considering she hadn't kicked me out of her house yet, which also led me to the conclusion that for one reason or another her son hadn't told her yet about the "academic disaster" that everybody thought I was. This struck me as a surprising –I mean, normally teenagers would at least whine about these things to their parents, but maybe he didn't deem me relevant enough to do so. Huh, it worked well for my purposes, though it was a tad bit weird.

The atmosphere was less awkward than I had imagined. Sure, Light's sister –Who now I knew was called Yagami Sayu –gave me short but apologetic glances every now and then for her previous stunt, and every time she did so I smiled reassuringly to tell her that it was water under the bridge already. Call me a sadist, but I found her guilt feeling rather cute. Maybe Caliel was starting to rub off on me too much. Well, I couldn't stay mad at her even if I tried.

I liked interacting with children. A younger sibling was something I had always wanted, and Sayu had quite the childish demeanour despite being a young teenager.

I left my line of thoughts behind so I could continue on listening to the talking woman in front of me. Light's mother was really polite and graceful; she had been probably considered a Yamato Nadeshiko in her younger years. Her eyes crinkled upward with mirth when I complimented her curry, bringing another spoonful to my mouth. The flavour of greatly combined spices and chicken exploded pleasantly over my tongue, almost making me sigh. Homemade food was really delicious.

I guess it really seemed I was high on the food, for the woman across the table chuckled slightly.

"So… Ianni- san, huh? That's an exotic family name. Is your father from Italy?" She asked politely.

"Yes." I nodded, being careful on swallowing the food before speaking "from Florence."

"I see… that's what I thought; you do have some Italian features." The way she almost murmured the last part made me think that she hadn't intended to voice her thoughts out loud, and I realized she was probably talking about my slightly curved nose. The fork in Light's hand paused midair for a few seconds, confirming my suspicions.

"So, how did your parents met?" That was a story I was even able to tell backwards, considering it was an anecdote my father really enjoyed to reminisce. The original version was insanely long and way too personal to share it with them though, so I decided to summarize it.

"My father Alonzo and my mother Chiaki were respectively nineteen and sixteen years old at that time. My mother's family had visited Florence for vacations, and stayed there over two months. My father worked as a waiter in a gelato store, and had accidentally thrown chocolate ice cream all over my mother."

"What?!" The youngest of the Yagamis exclaimed perplexed, leaning towards me. "Wasn't your mother angry?"

"Livid," I grinned "especially my grandfather. But my father was truly sorry for what he had done at that time, so he had given them a tour around the city and bought a new dress for my mother. Everything was kind of forgiven at that point."

I refrained to mention that my mom had made him wash her blouse with a teeth brush, right after calming her father who was contemplating on making Alonzo commit seppuku. Her family was a peculiar one.

"Mother left eventually, but they exchanged letters for years. Father went to Japan to search for her after graduating from the _Università degli studi Firenze, _which is an old university in Florence. They married the same year."

"So your father followed your mother all the way to Japan?! That's so romantic!" Sayu exclaimed excitedly while bouncing slightly on her chair. Sachiko offered a warm smile and nodded.

"Your father must love you and your mother very much, Ianni-san."

The food suddenly threatened to become insipid inside my mouth, and I forced it down my throat a bit more prematurely than I should have. The woman and girl sitting at the table were luckily currently gushing at the last part of my story, and thankfully oblivious to me resisting an incoming cough attack.

A hand fell on my shoulder, and I didn't need to raise my gaze to know it was Caliel. I barely leaned my head over his fingers to show my appreciation.

Returning my head to its original position, I was able to catch a glimpse of Yagami Light, who had stopped eating and was openly staring at me, as if curious about something. Feeling a bit confused, I instinctively held his eyes with mine, and strangely hoped he would drop his. He did, but for my chagrin, it wasn't because he was intimidated, rather than because he seemed to have lost any interest and was currently concentrating on his own plate again.

I decided to do the same.

Lunch was finished without nothing else especial happening, besides learning that his father was, surprisingly, the chief of the NPA –the reason of his absence, as he was currently leading a murder investigation –and that I actually quite liked Light's family. They were as normal as any other Japanese family.

_Maybe even a bit cliché, considering they have the stereotypical overachieving, nerd, Asian son. _I snickered a bit at the strange sudden thought. If anything, Light was far from being "normal" or "a stereotype", as much as I hated to admit. The person in question gave me an inquiering glance, but didn't comment at all. I was currently being led by him to his room, where we would finally get on with the project.

The first thing that hit me as soon as Yagami Light opened his bedroom's door, was a strong smell of cleaning agents, mixed with a subtle citric scent. I blinked a couple of times; taking in the sight, I vaguely wondered if this was truly the room of a sixteen year old teenager boy.

The room had been thoroughly cleaned and tidied, reflecting once more the nature of its owner. My own reflection could be seen on the windows surface, no blemishes sullying the image. The bed had been neatly made, and besides it laid two book shelves whose volumes stood orderly one next to the other.

_I bet he would arrange them by colour if he could. _I thought dazed. _There's a vacuum in his room. What in the tarnation._

A small voice in the back of my mind was nagging, telling me I was been unfair, that he had probably cleaned his room for the sake of his guest. It then chastised me for still being sore thanks to his comment back in the classroom.

That wasn't true.

I wasn't sore, even if I was. I totally was, but that wasn't the point.

_Who in the seven Heavens has a vacuum in their room?_

"Ianni-san?" Light's expectant voice brought my thoughts to a halt, and I came to realize I hadn't had moved from my spot next to the door frame, probably too busy eyeing his belongings like a creep.

Feeling strange in the unfamiliar surroundings, I shifted awkwardly before taking a few step forward and placed my backpack on his bed.

"Let's start, then." My mumble was audible enough, though I didn't bother to raise my head as my hands busied themselves looking for Stevenson's novel and the research I had made. Apparently, I wasn't an order freak like my project partner was, but I still liked being able to find my stuff.

_Unlike mom's purse. _I thought as I took out the work material. _I swear she has a black hole at the bottom of that thing._

"So…" A smooth screech interrupted me, and I blinked at Light, who had dragged his office chair and placed it in front of the bed. He smiled slightly.

"Please, Ianni-san, take a seat."

"Oh… thanks." Taking his invitation, I let myself fall into the chair. Light sat across me on his bed and began opening a folder. I casted a quick glance in Caliel's direction –who was currently busy reading the titles in Yagami's bookshelves– before focusing once more on the task at hand.

"So…" I started again "Here is the copy of the novel." Softly, he took a ringed book from my fingers, examining the monochrome cover for a few seconds and then put it on his lap.

"Thank you and I apologize for the trouble." He smiled once more, this time a bit more sheepishly.

"There's no need to apologize. It is for the sake of the project." My answer had been a bit too curt, but it couldn't be helped.

Not willing to wait for a response, or even a reaction, I practically shoved him a stack of papers which were secured in place by a clip.

"Those are the subtopics I opted for the theme 'duality'" I explained before he could ask. "Firstly I chose the most famous concepts of Sigmund Freud; the Id, Ego and Superego. Which are otherwise known to follow the pleasure principle, the reality principle, and the conscience or ideal self." There was a pause, and I remained silent as my project partner turned to the next page. While reading, his facial features had relaxed and melted into a focused, but nonetheless interested expression.

"Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis." He mused and flipped to the next page and subject, where an explanation of the concepts Yin and Yang had been summarized. His eyes drifted from the paper to meet my own. Gone was any trace of a smile, and my heart accelerated its rhythm during a fraction of time, before realizing he didn't seem mad nor his stare held any ill intentions. He looked, for the lack of a better word, professional. "It's a good idea. We will include this in the project."

I visibly perked up before being able to stop myself. He noticed this, because the right corner of his mouth lifted slightly before returning to its original position, his face acquiring a semblance of thoughtfulness.

"If we'll be talking about Freud, then I think Carl Gustav Jung is also worth mentioning as well."

He was not baiting me with his psychology knowledge. My inner nerd wasn't being tempted, not at all.

"I take you have an interest in psychology. Is there a reason for this?" He pressed.

Biting my own tongue and choke to death was starting to become an alluring idea, but I'm pretty sure Caliel would frown upon me taking my own life. Still, it didn't make the idea to answer him more attractive.

Wanting to tell him it was none of his business, I committed the terrible mistake to look at him in the eye.

Brow slightly furrowed and pupils scanning my face, he looked much determined and a tad bit frustrated.

Why?

Was he trying to find a way to get on my good side? Was his intention to make up, to have an opportunity for a fresh start?

Or maybe his motives were less altruistic, and ending a childish cold war for the sake of the project, was the only goal he had on mind.

Either way, he was trying to ease my anger, seeking my forgiveness by complimenting me; sharing common interests in an attempt to make me relate to him.

And the worst of all, it w_as working,_ as I began to wonder if it was worth to stay mad at him for something he had no knowledge of. The prick was playing me like God's forsaken piano.

Letting out an aggravated sigh of resignation, I decided to humour him.

"Nah, I don't want to be a psychiatrist or psychologist, if that's what you're asking. The inner work of the human psyche interests me. Nothing else."

He seemed ready to ask "why", but I cut him off once more.

"You also seem well informed about this subject. May I ask why?" Light looked unperturbed by my interruption, and offered me a soft smile.

"Well, I'm planning on joining the NPA after graduating from college, so I investigated quite a bit about it. Criminological psychology is particularly important for this career, as well."

I nodded rather absentmindedly. So he wanted to follow his father's footsteps?

"And what do you want to do after high school, Ianni-san?"

"M-me?" I stuttered. The question had caught me strangely off guard. "Ah, I'm not sure." An awkward pause "When I was little, I wanted to join a monastery and become a nun."

He blinked slowly.

"A nun?"

"Yeah. That was before though. When I grew up, I realized it was kind of silly." That, plus the fact I was sure that angels who usually protected those kinds of sacred places by default, wouldn't have appreciated Caliel's presence that much. Said demon chuckled from the other side of the bed, most likely guessing the contents of my thoughts.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Light asked, to which I shrugged my shoulders,

"No clue. I really like children, so I'd love to teach math in an elementary school or something like that." I liked math to the point it was the only school period where I tried to stay awake with all my might. The math teacher, Mister Hinamura, liked me well enough to wonder why the hell any other teacher would want to gouge my eyes out with their chalk stained nails. "But if you ask me what I really want to do, well, right now I just want to be finished with this insufferable project as soon as I can."

Yagami Light genuinely smiled at that, eyes crinkling along with his mouth, and I couldn't help but to return the gesture. Damn social mirroring rule.

Ying and Yang, the Shadow and Persona archetypes of Carl Jung, and Freud's Id, Ego and Superego were chosen as the subtopics for our presentation. As Light submerged himself in the world of Stevenson's novel, I opened my own book and started going through the lines I had marked as important. Light read with an impressing, but not so unexpected speed, giving his insights now and then. We hadn't made any small chat or conversation again, too focused in our project to do so. Still, a carefree atmosphere surrounded us as we dissected the book fragment by fragment, making the hours pass by like a breeze.

It was six in the afternoon when Yagami Sachiko decided it was time for a snack. Entering the room, she left a tray that held two plates filled with melon slices, and a couple of glasses brimming with juice. We ate in comfortable silence and then continued with the work.

"Hikari, it's getting late." Caliel's voice suddenly announced, I faced him automatically, distracted in my focused state.

"Huh, already?"

"What is it, Ianni-san?" My partner questioned. His attention had been obviously redirected at my sudden inquiry.

My cheeks began to grow hot, though I was thankful that at least I hadn't blurted out something weirder. Clearing my throat in order to gain time for disguising my shame, I pointed at the digital clock on his desk.

"It's already quarter past seven. I have to go." He followed my finger with his gaze to confirm what I had said. He looked a bit thoughtful for a second.

"I know it's not that late." I started ordering my files. "But my home is a bit far from here, and I don't want my mom to start worrying." I explained.

He nodded with comprehension.

"That's fine by me. We came very far with our project today."

"Yeah," I agreed "And you can finish the book properly like this."

"Speaking of it…" Light suddenly stood up, walking to his desk and opening a drawer. He took out a couple of bills and offered them to me. "Here's the money that I owe you for the copy of the book."

I stared at the money in his outstretched hand, completely incredulous, before realizing the situation.

"Ah, no, it's unnecessary…" My stammer grew worse as I became aware of the blood rushing to my cheeks. Light scoffed mockingly and softly slapped my hand with the bills.

"Hey, just take it. I owe you, besides; I'm not one to leech off somebody." He offered me the money once more, though I kept starring at it with an uncomfortable grimace imprinted on my face.

"Take it." Caliel snapped, visibly irritated. It took most of my willpower not to tense under his cold voice. "Or do you think you are in a position to give money away?"

This was the only incentive I needed. Accepting the bills and stuffing them inside my pant pocket, I thanked Light and went to recover my personal belongings. He walked me downstairs, where I also thanked the Yagami women before saying goodbye to them. Light offered to accompany me to the train station, declaring it was way too late and dark to walk through the streets by myself.

"Heh, heh…" Caliel smothered his laughter with a hand, even though no one except me would have been able to hear him. "Ah, so chivalrous." He said lowly, almost crooning. "It's funny. I believe he didn't like you until yesterday morning."

I was aware of this. I also found the sudden change of heart kind of weird, though not unpleasant at all. The painful sensation of nails digging into the skin of my palm kept me from barking something to a seemingly invisible being.

What I found unpleasant and incredibly irritating at the moment, was the demon's attitude.

* * *

Light walked by my side down the street. Unsurprisingly, it was already pitch dark outside. As dark as it can get in an overpopulated urban city full of street lights, at least. The days had become considerably shorter, as summer had ended some weeks ago, the slight cold beginning to announce the presence of the read-leafed season.

A hot shower; I would take a hot shower before joining mom for dinner. She had promised there would be some miso soup today. Days when we could eat together, such as weekends, were definitely nice days.

"So, were you working today?" Light's sudden voice startled me, making me forget the pleasant line of thoughts. I stared at him strangely for a few seconds, still not completely there, and hummed in understanding when the question finally sank in.

"No." I answered easily enough. "I do community service on Saturdays, teaching children with learning disabilities."

Looking intently in my direction, he blinked again. He did that a lot, I noticed, when something he wasn't quite expecting happened.

"That's really admirable, Ianni-san." I dropped my gaze before facing forwards. The way he had said that, it had been as if he had become absent, yet was still aware of every word that left my mouth. Analytical, I suddenly thought, and another small shiver ran through my spine.

"Some would say that, yes."

"And you also work part time?" The conversation was steadily escalating from awkward to distressing. My hands found the zipper of my jacket, and I played with it in a poor attempt to distract myself.

The prick was smart –a person didn't need any eyes to _see _this–Yagami Light knew he was treading into dangerous waters. He wasn't even bothering to walk around eggshells; he stepped right _on_ them, while breaking none.

And I found myself wondering: How? How did he do that? And why did I find myself nodding to answer his question?

"…I see." He left it at that. A sudden weight seemed to be lift off my shoulders, yet a sour aftertaste of slight disappointment seemed to impregnate my tongue. I almost wanted to laugh at this.

Did I really wanted to talk about my problems that much? Why, it seemed I did. Humans weren't able to keep this much to themselves without wanting to explode, even though some were more resilient than others. I was no exception.

"_But not to him." _I decided, searching instead for Caliel's fair blue eyes with my gaze. _"No one will ever understand me better." _The demon's eyes softened, filling themselves with tenderness, and something a bit warmer, when suddenly they started to blaze in cold anger again. This made me gasp and take a tiny step back, only then did I notice Light's hand grabbing my forearm.

"Ianni-san, I must apologize." He called to me "You actually do your best, don't you?" Light released the appendage from his hold and bowed down "I'm sorry."

And this would have been extremely touching, if it hadn't been so _damn_ surreal. But then, as I stared down at him, I began to comprehend something essential; something that had completely escaped out of my grasp, even though it had always been there. An obvious detail I had somehow missed.

Yagami Light was just another human. A natural prodigy? Sure. A pompous guy with an ego the size of Russia? Check. But he was also a human nonetheless; A sixteen year old human, a year younger than me. He was someone with many faces and facets, just an ordinary Japanese teenager raised in a culture of dichotomy between public image and true feelings: A bearer of a mask, just like me, just like everyone else. And he had also emotional highs and lows, and was capable of sympathy, empathy: A human through and through.

"_Since when have I become so childish, for not realizing this sooner?"_

It was rather shameful.

"Ianni-san?" Yagami Light called. He was standing straight again, watching expectant my silent self.

"Ah…" I murmured "It's nothing, nothing at all. I just realized something." And then, once more, I wasn't looking at him. Although accepting his apology would have been the appropriate thing to do at the moment, I just turned around and kept walking.

And so, we made the rest of the way to the train station in absolute silence, a demon hovering above us, ironically protecting us from the dangers of the night.

* * *

Yagami Light fell into his chair, disposed to read most of the novel before going to bed, when he felt something obnoxiously poking his thigh. He retrieved the offender object out of his pant pocket, which was nothing more and nothing less than a brightly wrapped hard candy; A gift from his strange classmate.

He had bidden her goodbye, right after completing his mission, and had been turning on his heel to return home when the girl shouted from the distance.

"_Yagami-san!"_ Light stopped in his tracks to face her. She rummaged through her backpack, and tossed him the object she had retrieved from it. It was already halfway when she warned _"Think fast!"_

As expected, he had caught it midair with no trouble. Ianni Hikari laughed lightly, seeing him eyeing bemused the strawberry candy she had thrown in his direction.

"_A treat for a productive day."_ The girl had explained loudly, boring her eyes into his. _"See you tomorrow, I guess." _

And with that, she had entered the station, leaving him as he stood strangely unmoving.

Yagami Light eyed the sweat treat. Sighing with insincere aggravation, he unwrapped it and plopped the round confectionary into his mouth. A tiny, almost imperceptible smile made its way through his cheeks.

It didn't have any special taste, and it was really sweet.

* * *

**Hehehe… yeaaaaaaaah, I guess it doesn't look too good when I take almost six month to update the third chapter of this fic. And I know you don't want to hear my excuses, so I'll just tell you good news. There is going to be a regular update schedule now (A.k.a, a chapter every 1 or 1 ½ month). I have other two fics to write, after all (they are in Spanish though). If you are curious how the fic is proceeding, there will be an "Update corner" in my profile.**

**So yeah, feel free to review and tell me if there's a mistake. I was a bit anxious to update this, so there are probably quite a few.**

**BTW I HAVE A NEW COVER. Those are Hikari and Caliel, more or less.**


	4. Chapter 4: Exulansis and Opia

Chapter 4: Exulansis and Opia

There were times when I wasn't sure about the feelings I harboured towards Yagami Light.

One week had already passed since our "reconciliation". One week since my sudden epiphany, since I started to see things I just couldn't help but to notice about him. It was like his presence alone had become a beacon to my senses, which now followed his every move, listened to his every word, and tried to understand the reasons behind his actions.

It wasn't romantic attraction. I hadn't gone off the deep end just yet. But there was no denying that Light had something… interesting about him. There had always been, but it had taken me way too long to realize it. Of course, I wasn't talking just about his natural charisma.

What caught my attention, weren't his most positive traits.

Yagami Light had many barriers around him, which was something I always knew. But spending the last week in his company had made me realize how far these barriers went.

"See you tomorrow, Light!" Hotaru Takeshi was a classmate of ours. He was one of the many students whose awe and respect for my project partner led him to many attempts to befriend him.

"Goodbye, Hotaru."

But there it was. It was always there; the distance, I mean.

In principle, Yagami Light tried to give everyone an equal treatment, which was nothing else other than smiles, kind words, and sometimes a helping hand. Everyone, in return, considered him a friend.

"Light-kun! We're going to the karaoke, wanna come?"

"Sorry, Yamamoto-san, I have to work on my project."

I wasn't sure whether Light had any real friends or not. The way he regarded those who called themselves his friends was simply way too formal, too distant. It was indifference in disguise.

Maybe I was over thinking things. But it was simply… off, how he insisted sticking with the last name basis when everyone decided to be so casual around him.

"Hikari-san, are you ready to go?" The subject of my thoughts was standing beside my desk, waiting patiently for me to finish packing my things. He hadn't dropped the honorifics, but he had started using my first name about two days ago.

"Just a second, Yagami-san." I, for obvious reasons, hadn't dared to do the same yet. I stood up from my chair and strapped my bag over my shoulder.

There was this part of me, a "bigger-than-comfortable" part I must confess, that had been touched and had a slight yearning for Light's friendship, for getting to know him better; for him wanting to know more about me as well.

"You took a day off your work today." It was more of a statement than a question. Nevertheless, I nodded.

"It's nice having a day off from time to time."

"I wouldn't call it a day off though, considering you're going to spend it in doing school work."

I groaned loudly and threw the boy a nasty glare. He was cracking a tiny, friendly smile, which caused my acidic attitude to become more than insincere.

"_That light pole over there sure looks inviting." _I thought, staring at the miscellaneous object with renewed interest. I bet that if I hit my head hard enough against it, my brain could rewire itself and stop being such an indecisive dumb nuisance. There was definitely no other explanation to my bipolar behaviour.

"_It's probably plucking petals from a marguerite while chanting 'Trust him, he's nice' and 'Michael Jackson's nose is realer than Yagami Light. Girl, what even.' "_

I snorted at the weird chain of thought. 'What even', indeed.

Light stared at my sudden amusement, but didn't comment on it and chose to continue with the topic as we walked out of the school.

"So, where do you even work at?"

"I have different part-time jobs." I explained as I took a bag of gummy bears out of my satchel. The plastic packet was swiftly opened by my calloused fingers, and these eagerly took one of the candy animals before bringing them to my mouth. Light looked a bit perplexed and maybe a little amused. He had noticed how I always carried some kind of candy with me. This had to do more with my low blood pressure, rather than my liking regarding sweets.

"You do?"

"Yeah." I shook the bag of gummy bears in his direction, offering him some, to which he declined. Shrugging my shoulders, I took another one for myself. "I work at a convenience store on Fridays and Wednesdays. On Mondays and Tuesdays I help as an attendant in a pet shop. Thursdays I work as a waitress in a restaurant. Maybe you have heard of it, it serves Cuban food, and is called 'La mesita'. Really good stuff there, you should try some of their food if you haven't yet."

We both stopped as we reached a red traffic light. My eyes drifted from the people infested streets to Light's face, noticing that he had suddenly become quiet. The light heartedness I had previously felt was starting to evaporate as I was met with the frowning expression of my partner.

"You work five days a week? How do you have time for anything? And why does the school allow this? There's a policy against it."

Trying not to feel offended despite his castigating tone of voice, I directed my gaze towards an invisible horizon, and smiled forcefully.

"I have almost none." _School is by no means my priority. Otherwise, I wouldn't be repeating a year. _"And then, the school authorities know. They just let me have a part-time job because I'm a special case."

"For _five _days a week?" He pressed annoyed. And truly, he was starting to exasperate me as well. Why did I want this guy's friendship again?

"_No, _Yagami-san. Obviously not for five days. But the school doesn't have to know that, now, does it?" I rolled my eyes. "Or are _you _planning to tell them?"

The semaphore turned green and I started walking. Light remained at my side.

"…Of course not." He scoffed after a few seconds. "But why would you need three different part-time jobs? Sure, your family's income mustn't be that bad." He narrowed his eyes at me. "What do your parents do for a living?"

…If I had had any doubts before, now I was really regretting telling him anything about my life.

Caliel thoughts apparently mirrored mine. Clicking his tongue in irritation, he gave the young man a dirty look.

"Nosy brat. There's just no way around this kind of people. You have to be direct. Tell him to stop being so meddlesome, otherwise it won't pierce that thick skull of his to stay ingrained in his tiny grey matter."

"_It's during these kinds of times when Caliel's advices became quite useful." _I thought. He was right. Light was very much pressed on getting information from me that I wasn't willing to give to him just yet, _though the interest was flattering and admittedly called for._

Still, he had barely earned any of my trust. And I simply didn't care enough about Light for him to wrestle _that _kind of information out of my lips.

"_This is disappointing." _I admitted to myself. _"But what was I even expecting?"_

Just what? That I could simply pour my heart out and he would take the words and cherish them and then become "bestes" of friends?

We had barely started talking for a week. But it had been enough for me to realize how emotionally unavailable he was: Being friendly with everyone, while being no ones friend.

I wanted to know him better. I wanted him wanting to know me better. I wanted us to be friends, but…

"_This kind of effort is just tiring and unnecessary. I have my priorities, I have my goals, and he has no significant relevance in my life at all. From now on, I'll just let the things flow naturally. And they'll become what they have to become. In the end, time shall unravel the truth."_

"Ianni-san!" Surprised, Light's severe voice stopped me right on my tracks. His face was right in front of mine, and he didn't look too hot. I noticed the sudden change between the use of my name and surname, and smiled a bit at that.

"_He must feel a bit peeved after being ignored."_

"Don't worry your pretty little head over these types of matters. It shouldn't concern you, if we're being honest."

"If it shouldn't concern me, then why would you talk about it in the first place?" He retorted, to which I almost grimaced. Shouldn't have surprised me, Yagami Light was known for being the sharpest tool in the shed, after all.

"Yagami-san," My tranquil, almost soothing voice appeared to put him off, like he was expecting me to suddenly blow up, or admitting a carefully constructed façade. It suddenly passed through my mind, the idea of telling him how everything I had revealed until then was nothing more than lies. The useless thought was discarded immediately. Though curious about the results such actions could led to, I wasn't about to antagonize him for the kicks. Ah no, such things were Caliel's department.

I smiled amused, but a glance to my partner's countenance made me sober up, and the devious grin became once more a gentle, tight-lipped smile.

"You think too much, Light-san."

He seemed taken aback, I noticed, and maybe it was partly thanks to the unforeseen use of his first name, but that wasn't all. And it was funny. It wasn't the first time I had seen him frustrated in my company. This, though, was something different, something… new. And while I wasn't sure if this development was good, it certainly didn't feel "bad."

He seemed ready to protest again, half-heartedly, however, when I talked first.

"When the going gets though, the though get going. I'll be fine, Yagami-san. Contrary to our classmates believe, I'm not alone."

I really wasn't, but what about him? "_Could this be because of his intelligence? Could the fact that he does not connect with anyone in an intellectual way, be the cause why he neither does it emotionally?" _

Light stared at me with a somewhat resigned look on his face. He, as a human, had felt sympathy and curiosity towards my situation.

"_At this point, he most likely realized that I'm not worth the trouble."_

That was fine. It would have made me feel somewhat guilty if he were to care more than I did.

* * *

A certain message from her cell phone made the contractor's eyes go wide.

"I have to leave early today, Yagami-san."

Yagami Light peered at her from above the pages of his psychology book. He scrutinized her expression, looking for any hint of distress, but was slightly surprised so see a big, honest smile stretching itself across the girl's face.

"How so?"

Hikari answered by no answering him, so Light decided to change his question.

"Is it very urgent?"

The girl's smile seemed to widen. Her hazel eyes were warm.

"Yes. I need to go now."

It was only five in the afternoon. Ergo, they had been working for less than two hours. But sensing her impatience, and understanding the importance of that text message, Light decided to shut up before expressing this thought out loud. He heaved a sigh.

"If you must, then go." To this, she smiled in his direction, more out of politeness than anything else. He suspected that she wouldn't have needed his approval to do as she pleased at the moment.

He offered taking her to the train station; she roundly refused.

"It's not late or anything. I'll be fine." She shrugged her shoulders. "Besides, someone has to actually work on that project."

And then she was gone.

He couldn't concentrate on the book immediately, and instead, he found himself raising his eyes towards the window, watching Ianni Hikari leave and then disappear down the street. He didn't return to his book, even when there was no wisp of her presence left.

There were many rumours regarding the half-Italian girl. Light had never paid much attention to them, though his own opinion towards her hadn't been the best either. And why would it?

She was a holdback who dozed off through most of the classes. Not an asocial as many believed, as he had previously witnessed her eating with some upperclassmen girls, but she didn't really get along with anyone in their classroom. She had a weird habit of speaking out loud to no one in particular. This rarely happened, though, and he hadn't thought too much about it at first. After all, it wasn't all that strange when there were tons of people who talked to themselves. What differentiated Ianni Hikari from the rest, was the fact that she seemed to talk to a completely foreign presence, and was convinced of its existence. Like an imaginary friend.

A coping mechanism? Or maybe a type of schizophrenia? Whatever problem she had, maybe she could only confide it in this being inside her head.

He wasn't sure. Despite this, she seemed to be in her right mind. Her thought process was clear, and her social skills were in no way lacking. Most would call her a decent human being, adhered to a certain set of morals, and who was willing to spend a significant amount of time in helping others.

Her grades were mediocre at best. The dark circles under her eyes and sickly paleness to her skin were most likely a result of long hours studying the night away. He had been admittedly surprised when he discovered the true reasons of her academic disinterests.

Why were her parents doing nothing about it?

He had thought of different scenarios, but hadn't come up with a solid conclusion. At least, it didn't seem like she was being abused.

He couldn't yet decide if he pitied the girl or not. He felt that she wouldn't appreciate being pitied, and it didn't feel right to do so.

A sudden banging against his window startled him out of his thoughts and Light yelped.

"_A bird?"_

He stood up quickly to confirm his suspicions. Indeed, a tree sparrow laid inert on the entrance's cobblestones. Light watched, unmoving as well, with his eyebrows knitted together. He waited, but resigned himself when the bird didn't appear to be moving any time soon.

Light walked down the stairs. Currently, there was nobody else in the house; his father had yet to return from work, Sayu had been invited to a sleepover at a friend's house, and his mom was still at the market. It was better to get rid of the bird before anyone else in his family could be welcomed by the sight of its dead carcass.

Closing the entrance door behind him, Light walked towards the sparrow and knelt beside it.

It felt very small in his hands, and its chestnut crown and nape seemed almost ochre under the evening light.

The sparrow chirped and flapped its wings. For the second time in that day, Light found himself startled.

"Ow!" He glared at the bird, which had just nipped his thumb.

Putting the ungrateful assailant on the floor, Light stood up, ready to leave, but instead, he stayed where he was and stared at the sparrow. The sparrow returned his gaze, observing him with his black, beady eyes, before chirping and flying away. Light rubbed his injured thumb and watched it leave.

"_When the going gets though, the though get going." _

Light walked back into his house.

Would she really be alright?

* * *

"Darling, put the spoon down, you're dripping soup on the tablecloth."

"But Kiki dear! Didn't you listen to our daughter?! She was alone with a boy in his bedroom!"

Alonzo flailed his arms in a gesture of over dramatized outrage, and I dodged some drops of broth unintentionally aimed in my direction. Dad was creating a mess in the dinning room, but neither mom nor I cared.

We had missed his shenanigans, to be honest.

"That fool! Attempting to seduce my only offspring with his uncreative, pubescent scheming! Over my dead body! We shall battle until one of us finally has no option other than entrust our battered souls to the merciful hands of the Lord!"

"Dad…"

A finger was placed on my lips.

"Hush, daughter of mine. Your honour will be restored." There was a piece of lentil glued on his cheek. He then whispered conspiratorially. "I swear it on your grandfather's grave."

A bagel landed square on his head, and Alonzo knew he had fucked up. There were very few things dad feared in his life. One of these fears was war, then, there was the possibility to outlive us and be the one to bury his loved ones. There was also the uncertainty of life, and not knowing whether he was following God's will and the path he had prepared for him to enjoy the privilege of transcendence and an eternity next to God.

He also feared angry Chiaki. Angry Chiaki was definitively very scary.

Mom was seething. Hiding behind the flower vase, I smiled as I caught the sight of dad mouthing "traitor" to me.

"My father is alive and kicking, thank you very much for the sentiment." Mother booped him on the head with her spoon and dad smiled sheepishly at her. "But I see that you're feeling well enough to insult your father in law, so you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight."

Dad narrowed his eyes, and gaped incredulously at her.

"Kiki! Why didn't you defend me this much when your dad left me outside his house for Christmas?!"

I laughed at the memory. At that time, when dad had left for the store to buy some champagne, he had returned to find himself locked out of the house with no one to open the door for him.

"_Mom? Why hasn't dad come back yet?"_

"_I don't know Hika. Dad, did Alonzo say something to you?"_

"_He said he would be gone for a long time." Ibuki smiled, and his eyes twinkled with mischief "A really, really long time." _

_Chiaki stared at him, sceptical. Why was her father chuckling so much?_

"You had forgotten your keys." Mom's voice brought me back to the present again. "Hence, it was your fault."

"But it was snowing!" Alonzo complained.

"So? My point still stands." Mom smirked and dad pouted. She then smiled at him warmly, and winked. Dad, returning the affective action, sent her a flying kiss before turning his head to me.

"Then, _mia figlia, _how's your project going? Is this partner of yours any good?"

I took a sip from my tea before setting the cup down.

"He's Japan's number one student."

Dad blinked at that.

"Is he handsome?"

There was a pause.

"Yes."

Dad hummed.

"Is he a ladies man?"

"I haven't seen him dating around; but lots of girls want to have that privilege. So I would say yes."

"Is he rich?"

"…No?"

"Thanks God." Alonzo sighed. "For a moment there, I thought you had been reading smut novels and were hallucinating."

"Dad!" I burrowed my face into my hands. "It's not like that that between us! And he's most likely real, thank you very much."

He threw his head back and laughed wholeheartedly.

Mom sighed.

Caliel smiled.

And then, everything seemed perfect again.

* * *

Different people had their own little quirks when they were feeling happy. Some hummed or laughed at the strangest intervals, while others bounced and were not able to stay in one place. Right now, I had the biggest and silliest smile, or at least I was sure of that, because Light kept staring at me as if I had grown a third head. There was no way I would blame him for this. After yesterday's confrontation, I myself hadn't expected to be so at ease around him, but it couldn't be avoided.

Nothing could dampen my good spirits.

"Hikari-san?" Light suddenly spoke.

"Ah?" I muttered, distracted, barely listening to him at all. My mind kept divagating, floating on cloud nine, so I barely paid Light any mind. Given the fact that the only speck of attention I still had was currently being used for writing the start of our essay.

The words "mother", "friends", "reunion" and "noisy" had barely registered in my head. Then, his next sentence slapped me like a fish across the face.

"So, would you have no problem if I went to your house tomorrow afternoon?"

The pen dropped from my hand and I stared at him blankly.

"What?"

Caliel scoffed.

* * *

***Dodges tomatos***

**Yes, I know this update came late. But I haven't had access to my laptop. My brother's computer broke, so he has been using mine for college works. He recently got a new one, so I can start using mine with no problems again.**

**So, you know the drill!**

Mia figlia: My daughter

Exulansis: "The tendency to give up trying to talk about an experience because people are unable to relate to it- whether through envy or pity or simple foreigness.

Opia: "The ambiguous intensity of looking someone in the eye, which can feel simultaneously invasive and vulnerable."


	5. Chapter 5: Felix culpa

**Chapter five:** _Felix culpa_

"Hika…" Dad shook my arm softly. "Hikari."

Groaning, I slid my arms out of his reach and tightened the grip around the cup in my hands. He sighed.

"Is that your fourth cup?"

"Fifth." I corrected, glancing tiredly at him through my bangs. His lips twitched.

"And I'd say that's at least three too much, Hikari."

"No, it's not. Trust me."

"Sweetie…" He murmured soothingly and offered me an encouraging smile. "Please, tell me what's wrong. Whatever it is, talking about it will do you a lot better than drowning your problems in chocolate milk."

I fiddled with my drink in an attempt to gain time and settle my thoughts down. On the chair next to mine, was dad, waiting patiently for me to relax.

"Well…"I started, a bit hesitant "Remember the guy we were talking about yesterday? You know; my classmate."

"The Ken doll? What's up with him?" He chuckled a bit at his own joke. I didn't laugh with him. His expression sobered up and then his voice came back, this time accompanied by an obscurer timbre. "He didn't mistreat you in any way, did he, Hikari?"

I grimaced, despite finding the question a tad bit amusing. Light had been a jerk to me at first, and he still carried himself around with a certain air of arrogance. But in the last week, I had come to accept this as a part of his personality. Sure, it was a terrible flaw to have, but I wasn't the perfect human either. Additionally, his last actions were proof of his repentance, presuming I wasn't misunderstanding his intentions. In any case, he had taken his braggart attitude down to a notch, which was terribly appreciated.

Did he mistreat me? No. Well, not exactly… or intentionally. Most wouldn't really count "awkward confrontations" and "accidentally pressing the wrong buttons" as "mistreat", of that I was sure.

Light just happened to be very good at both of these things.

Oh, and making me feel guilty; that too, the prick. I admittedly didn't dislike him as much as I did before, but still.

Prick.

I drank a large gulp of my hot, sweet beverage, barely batting and eye when I almost choke on it.

"He's coming here tomorrow." I rubbed my eyes. "His mother will be receiving some guests–Friends or family or something– I don't know. It's supposed to be very loud and interruptive, so he asked me if we could work here instead. I couldn't say no."

My body shivered. The night was a bit cold.

"I see." Alonzo muttered. He looked… confused, perhaps even a bit conflicted.

"Yeah."

We stayed silent for a while, my face impassive as I finished the cup of chocolate milk. My heart was anything but tame.

Closing my eyes, I breathed in to calm myself down, felling more collected as the scent of home invaded my nose. It smelt like wood, walnuts and mom's perfume; it smelt like happiness.

"Hikari…" Dad started again, tentative, as if testing the waters. "Should I…I can… go out for a while tomorrow, if that's–"

"Dad!" I regretted my harsh tone as soon as it left my lips, and cringed along with my father. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

He squished my arm in comfort, but the pain in his eyes was still evident.

"It's alright."

"No, it's not." I refuted weakly. "I shouldn't talk to you like that."

My eyes remained stuck in their position, staring longingly at the bottom of the empty cup. I started licking the rim, not caring about how silly or disgusting it may have looked; I was at home, enjoying a little pleasure of mine.

And dad was here again. This was supposed to be the only thing that mattered.

"I don't want him to find out." I admitted. "But this is your house, there's no reason for you to go. Mom and I don't want you to be gone... Not anymore."

"Hikari…" His breath was shaking. "Maybe, it won't be so bad if he knows."

"I don't want him to know."

"He will understand. It might be good for you, you know? Having a friend there for you, supporting you..."

"I have friends. I have Caliel."

Shaking his head, dad smiled painfully at me.

"I know."

Heaving a sigh, I leaned back on the chair. My body felt heavy, so very heavy, and I stole a glance from the grandfather's clock standing next to the door. It was already past midnight.

"Dad. You should be sleeping."

"You too. Just because there is no school tomorrow, it doesn't mean that my daughter should be sleep deprived."

"Sleep is for the weak." I offered him a smirk. He rolled his eyes and bopped me on the arm. Suddenly standing up, he placed a hand on his chest, while the other dramatically caressed his face.

"Oh, daughter of mine, you forget that I'm the head of this family ―the king in this house—. So as long as you live between these four walls, you have to obey me, for you stand on the lowest step in this domestic hierarchy of ours."

"Dad, stop."

"Bwahahaha! There you are again, thinking you can order me around. I find this mutinity attempt outrageous, yet amusing."

"Dad, you're fired."

"Silly girl. You can't fire a sovereign. That's not how an absolutist government works. I thought I raised you better than that."

I threw my hands in air, yet the faked exasperation couldn't fully cover a small smile I was trying to hide for dramatizing purposes.

"And, I'm done. Good night, dad."

He laughed, crossing himself, prompting me to do the same as I stood up.

"Goodnight, my little dove."

Turning on my heels, I was about to leave when a hand grabbed mine. I gazed in my fathers eyes; a deep green infinity. They stared right at me, unwavering, strong but somehow gentle. My heart shook.

"Ît doesn't matter what anyone says. You are a kind girl: a kind, smart, beautiful and brave girl who deserves the best of all this world could give. I'll always be proud of you, you hear me? Always." He hugged me. At that moment, we didn't really pay any attention to the wetness on our cheeks. "I'm sorry for everything. I'll keep working hard. I promised, right? Just wait a bit more. I'll fix everything."

He did promise, right? And the Iannis always kept their promises.

But what chance did a man's promise stand against the word of fate?

That night Caliel slept next to me, holding my body softly against his, as I kept silently crying. I didn't stop until he started humming. A soft tune from my childhood; Caliel's lullaby to me. It was curious how he kept his angelical voice, even after his fall.

And that's when a sudden thought came to me.

"I care way too much about what he thinks of me." Caliel nodded, caressing my back while listening, drawing circles on the skin. "But I shouldn't. Mom, dad, Izumi, and you, are the ones who truly matter. So I shouldn't care."

"You don't really care."

"I don't?"

The demon stared at the wall, suddenly lost in his thoughts, with an expression so calm it was almost disturbing.

"There's something that isn't quite working in that brat. You sense this and it attracts you. You have always had this nasty habit of trying to repair broken things."

"That sounds very sappy. Are you sure?"

Caliel smiled, though this gesture lacked every trace of humour.

"Be careful, Hikari. A single candle may be able to illuminate a pitch black room, but light is also easily absorbed by darkness." His arms tightened. "I won't allow your light to disappear, Hikari. I won't allow you to disappear."

Burrowing my face in the crook of his neck, I whispered into his ear to reassure him.

"I would never choose him over you."

"I know you wouldn't. Plus, you have known the guy for a couple of weeks. It would be very insulting if you did otherwise."

Caliel beamed, expression full of mirth. I returned this gesture, allowing my eyes to drop, heavy and swollen from crying and staying up late.

"Would you sing once more to me, until I fall asleep?"

The fallen angel chuckled in response, running his fingers across my scalp. I felt his energy humming, like tickling heat, an almost unnoticeable prickling on the skin.

"I spoil you too much."

"No, you don't. You bully me more than anything."

"I think that somebody doesn't want their song." I nuzzled closer, kicking him lightly on the shin. Caliel sighed.

But then he started singing.

I couldn't understand the words, and there's no doubt that no human on earth would be able to do so. There's a part of me that dislikes Caliel's voice. Thanks to him, I've never been able to appreciate many singers in this life.

Notes that shouldn't exist leave from Caliel's lips, like crystal butterflies escaping from a golden cage, soaring across the sky, penetrating my senses, allowing my soul to sail in ships made out of violet stars. The textures beneath my body seem to accentuate, yet cease to exist. Caliel wraps a black, rotten wing around me. I transcend to the furthest skies, above the physical plane. I'll return when the morning comes. My friend murmurs some familiar words into my ear.

"I love you, Hikari."

And I answer back.

"I love you, too."

"_I'll let the things flow, like a river. It will become what it has to become."_

Maybe one day, I would grow up a pair of wings. And then, flying across the universe, with Caliel by my side, I won't have to worry about the river, nor the laws that bound me to the earth. Then I could be like the wind, always on the move, bending things at its will.

Maybe then, I would be able to change something.

* * *

Light glanced at his wristwatch. He would have to leave soon if he wanted to be there on time.

"Are you sure you won't be having lunch before leaving?" Sachiko asked for the third time, making him smile despite his slight exasperation. Light was already used to this question that only seemed to arise every time he went to somebody else's house. It didn't really matter whom he visited. Sachiko had this slight paranoia, always thinking of the possibility that his son's hosts wouldn't feed him well.

"Ianni-san told me that a portion had already been prepared for me, so I will be fine."

"Yeah, mom." Sayu chimed in, momentarily diverting her eyes from the television. "Besides, aren't Italians supposed to love food? If anything, it's possible that Light will return with indigestion."

Said brother rolled his eyes.

"That's a stereotype, Sayu. Please, don't say those things next time Ianni-san comes here."

Sayu groaned, staring at him, clearly annoyed.

"It was a joke, jeez." She huffed in indignation. "And why are you suddenly calling her by her last name? Last time she was here, you were all like 'Oh, Hikari-san that, Hikari-san this'. What happened? Did a girl finally reject you?"

"Hey." Light sighed. "Nevermind, I'll be going now. Goodbye mom."

His mother smiled warmly at him.

"Goodbye, Light. Try not to return too late, and be careful on your way back."

"I know, mom." He walked to the entrance, putting on his shoes before yelling. "Oh, and Sayu, remember finishing your math homework. You wouldn't want you teacher to scold you again, would you?"

And outraged gasp was heard.

"Sayu! Is that true?"

"Light, you traitor!"

He closed the door behind him, sighing yet smiling to himself. A small breeze shook his hair, and he thought about the tree sparrow he had found a day ago. The days were getting colder, so it was a matter of time before it would have to migrate.

The way to his classmate's house was taking a bit too long for his liking. Did she always travel this much when going to his house? He felt a bit bad about it. Though, it seemed that she lived very close to their school, so he supposed that was a plus.

Ianni Hikari. Such a strange girl. Seemingly kind, not dumb as he previously had thought, nor completely right in the head. She was a bit eccentric, to say the least, and had some strange priorities as well. Why did she work so much? Why did she take part in non-profitable projects, when she had so few resources and so little time already? A martyr complex, perhaps? Honestly, it was quite frustrating having to deal with her.

He was curious, though. In what kind of conditions did she live? What was her situation? Was it necessary for the law to intervene?

What about her parents?

Light stopped in front of a two storey house. He noticed the painting peeling off of the walls, yet the owner had made an attempt to make the front porch look presentable in order to hide this fact. He rang the bell and waited, it wasn't long before there was an answer.

A man opened the door. Light couldn't really tell if he was pale or simply very fair skinned. He offered him a soft smile, green eyes crinkling, dimples forming on his cheeks. His dark blond hair was in disarray, giving him a casual look more than anything. As Light was about to greet him, the man spoke first.

"You must be Yagami Light, my daughter's classmate, right?"

Light paused, bemused for the rude interruption, getting a bit uncomfortable when the man's smile widened as he noticed this.

"Yes. Hikari-san and I are working on a school presentation… I assume you are…?"

"Oh! How rude of me! I hope I didn't give you that much of a bad impression" The man laughed, sending a wink in his direction. "I'm Alonzo Ianni… Ianni Alonzo, I mean. I'm Hikari's father. Nice to meet you, boy."

"Likewise, mister Ianni."

"Come in! It's cold outside. My wife and I just finished cooking. Have you ever tried peperonata?"

Light stepped inside and removed his shoes in the genkan, before following his host.

"I can't say I have, no."

"You're going to love it! Once Chiaki and I enter the kitchen, there isn't anyone who can stop us! Be it a Japanese or Italian dish."

"Thank you very much. I can't wait to taste it."

The dinning room, —and the rest of the house, as he would later discover— had a charming combination of western and Japanese decorations. It was mostly very rustic and pleasant. A perpetual scent of wood, nuts, and incense could be perceived in the air. Light noticed some portraits hanging on the wall, and discretely stared at them. He couldn't help but to be a little amused at some of them. Hikari seemed to have a little habit of making strange poses every time she was in front of a camera.

"Funny, isn't it? She always does it. It's a miracle if we ever get her to take a normal picture."

"Really?"

"Yes. Chiaki doesn't like this very much, but that's how our daughter is." Alonzo sighed, smiling softly to himself. "Always a bit on the crazy side, though I'll admit she got that from my family." He chuckled. Light smiled a bit and nodded, unsure how to answer. He could tell that the man was teasing, despite him having a strange sense of humour. It probably had something to do with their culture difference.

"So, Hikari-san…"

"She was showering. She should be here soon to join us for lunch."

"I see."

"Oh, and talking about lunch…" Alonzo placed a hand on his guest's shoulder. He drew closer to Light's face, making him blink in confusion. "How high is your tolerance for poison?"

He didn't really know what to say.

"Alonzo…" Thankfully, the awkward moment was soon interrupted by a low hiss coming from behind. Both men turned around, one utterly terrified, the other unsure about what was going on anymore. A dark haired woman, Hikari's mother, Light presumed, marched towards his husband and hooked her arm in his. A deceitfully sweet smile never left her face.

"Honey, manners remember? You can't tease him as you would tease some boy back in Italy. It's rude."

Chiaki jabbed his husband's side with her elbow, although Light wasn't sure because of the distance. Alonzo's wincing face confirmed his suspicions. He decided it was best to ignore it.

"Yes, I'm really sorry. But he seemed way too serious, so I couldn't help it." There was another jab. Light nodded, staring comprehensively at Chiaki.

"No harm done, really I…"

"Oh, you're already here." A much familiar voice interrupted him, compelling him to turn around. Hikari stood near the dining room's entrance. She wore a grey turtleneck sweater and a pair of black leggings, not caring about the wet hair falling on her shoulders. She looked refreshed and well rested; a rather strange image that wasn't very common on her. "Good afternoon, Light-san. You didn't have any troubles finding the house, did you?"

"Hello… Hikari-san." Light greeted, feeling obliged to address her the same way as she had ―unexpectedly― done. "No, not at all."

She hummed, seemingly relaxed. Her eyes wandered around the room, widening almost imperceptibly when they settled on her father.

"Dad, you're here?"

"Of course I am." Alonzo laughed. "I just went out to buy a little something and came back."

"Yes, I see that." She answered amused after a few moments. Light stared back at him, feeling like he was missing something, but ultimately decided to brush it aside.

"Hikari." Chiaki suddenly spoke. "Do set the table, please. Food is almost ready."

"Allow me to help." Hikari shook her hand in front of her face, rejecting Light's offer.

"No, no. You're a guest. Make yourself comfortable."

"I insist. It's really not a problem. I'd like to help."

Chiaki's gaze seemed to shine, looking at Light as if she had just found a treasure worth of kings. Her husband, noticing this, gained an unamused expression.

"Huh." Alonzo stared dispassionately at Light, clicking his tongue in annoyance before turning to his daughter. "Now I know what you mean, Hika."

The girl's eyebrow twitched.

"Dad…"

Her mother chimed in.

"_Approvato_."

"_Mai."_

"_Mama_." Hikari pinched her nose. She seemed ready to walk out the room and never return.

Light felt himself sigh. Now he knew: Indeed, the branch never seemed to fall far from the tree.

But he couldn't really complain.

Before coming, he had been full of questions, and had assumed the worst. Now that those questions had been answered, it only left him more puzzled than in the beginning. Hikari's good habits and values seemed to have been inculcated by her parents; a very amiable and likable couple. Chiaki was a children's book writer, Alonzo a philosophy teacher. Everything seemed to be alright. And yet…

Why were they struggling so much to the point where their daughter had to work five days a week? What were they hiding? Could it be debts, maybe even from gambling? Light had learned from his father's job that people weren't always what they seemed to be. Were those friendly smiles real, or just a façade?

"Let's go upstairs, Light-san." His classmate said once lunch had been finished.

"_Lascia la porta aperta!"_

Light couldn't understand Alonzo's words, but he supposed it wasn't something very amusing considering the way Hikari rolled her eyes.

"_Sì."_

"_Ricorda: Attendere fino a quando ti sei sposato." _

The girl then started running up the stairs. Light followed her slightly irritated.

* * *

I was officially freaked out. I wish this was just me being dramatic… which it was. Seriously, though: _What the actual hell._

I remember my first love from third grade. His name had been Ichimei something. An eight year old me had had the biggest crush on him, although I don't really remember why. His eyes were really pretty. Maybe it had been because of that; it doesn't really matter and it isn't the point I'm trying to make. The thing is, I remember always wanting to be near him, and always prayed that the teacher would move my chair next to his, but it never happened, and I was always internally crying because of this. Long story short, during fifth grade I had decided to forget about him and move on. Surprise, surprise; only then the teacher decided it would be a good idea for us to be bench partners. And as if cupid hadn't already been mocking me enough at that time, he also began being my partner in almost every work that was assigned to us.

My stupid heart decided to fall for him again.

Three weeks later, he moved to Kyoto.

Last week, I had decided to stop yearning for Light's friendship. Of course, the schmuck had a tendency to go against me and was making it hard.

Like, very, very hard. Since I invited him over my house, he had been strangely talkative to me, which was nothing short of a damned joke. It was Ichimei all over again, minus the romantic feeling.

Again, I wasn't _that much _of an idiot. A reasonable idiot, yes, but not a humongous one.

"Light-san." I tried not to spit his name with all my might. "You don't have to eat lunch with me. Go with your friends."

"Hotaru was planning on inviting Ayumi-senpai to a date, so the rest of the boys and I decided to scatter so we wouldn't interrupt him." He primly informed me, taking a bite out of his sandwich. I grunted, furiously sipping my milk, when I suddenly remembered something.

"Wait. You mean Ayumi Mei? Didn't she ask you out, like, a month ago?"

He coughed, brows furrowing.

"Yes."

"Awkward."

Light shrugged "Not really. She is over it and can date whoever she wants."

"That's a lie and you know it. That girl is as dramatic as it can get, so chances are that she'll attempt the_ crème de la crème _of all romantic clichés: A.k.a, get together with one of your friends so she'll be close to you."

"That's ridiculous."

"It may be ridiculous but you're not denying it."

"Enough of that. Have you been practising your pronunciation?"

I made a face at that.

"You're avoiding the topic by mentioning one of my weaknesses and I find this completely unfair."

"I don't know what you're talking about." He smirked. "So?"

"It has been getting better. I can finally express my desire to eat peaches and go to the beach without accidentally making some weird innuendos that everyone will point out." At Light's sigh, I decided to give him a break. "My words are now understandable and it doesn't give people the sudden urgency to rub their ears against a cheese greater."

"Good. Project is next week and you did a pretty decent job. It would be a pity if no one would be able to notice this."

"Has anyone ever told you that sarcasm is your greatest charm?"

He smirked. Leaning his head on his hands, the corners of his eyes lifted slightly, giving me _the look. _

"So you think I'm charming?"

I stared for a while, not knowing what to say. The word 'charming' then registered in my mind, evoking a certain image of Light with a weird moustache and a white toupee.

'_Oh dear, where art thou?'_

Caliel snorted at my own laughter.

"I never thought you would be one for cheesy pick-up lines, Light-san."

He shrugged and returned to his lunch. As I was about to do the same, something hit me.

I was smiling. I had been smiling the entire time, actually having a nice conversation with Light. My face fell in uncertainty. This wasn't really that bad. I had already decided on following the flow, and to allow this… acquaintanceship, to evolve as far as it had to evolve. Considering this was Light, it couldn't be very far. Still, I didn't get it. Why was he here? Why was he talking to me?

A panting boy then entered the room, red-faced and sweaty, parading the biggest and dopiest smile I had seen in the whole week. "Light, there you are!" Hotaru Takeshi exclaimed. Another three boys walked from behind him. I recognized them as my classmates.

"Ayumi-senpai said yes." One of them informed smugly, ruffling Hotaru's hair. Light beamed.

"Really? Congratulations, Hotaru-san! I knew there was no way she would say no."

"Liar."

No one paid any mind to those unheard words. Electric blue eyes kept staring with sterile interest, not caring about this last fact.

"So, Light. Want to come with us to the cafeteria before lunch is over?" Hotaru's eyes slipped in my direction as he asked this, avoiding direct contact with my own. Light brought his hand to the back of his neck and rubbed in embarrassment.

"Well, I was keeping Hikari-san some company."

"Oh…" Hotaru's gaze turned, if it was possible, even more awkward. "You can also come along, Ianni-san." He offered after a beat.

I raised my eyebrows, truly impressed. Light's influence wasn't something to be trifled with. Said boy was watching me, waiting for an answer. At first, I was tempted to accept the offer, and then my gaze returned to the boys.

To say they looked "adamant" would have been a nice way of sugar-coating it.

_It's alright. I shouldn't be where I'm not welcomed. _It was absolutely ridiculous how reputation was such an important thing and how some rumours could damage it beyond repair.

Standing up, I smiled politely.

"Thanks for the offer, but I just remembered there's something I need to do in the library." Light narrowed his eyes.

"Are you―"

"See you later, people." In a matter of seconds, I was at the door, abandoning the class, walking with no specific destination in mind. I passed by students, teachers, unknown faces, expressions blurred by sun rays flowing through the windows. I stared through the glass panels, stopping midway. A student collided against me. I vaguely noticed that they didn't apologize.

Ashy clouds were slowly starting to hide the sky. I remembered the star sprinkled violet firmament that Calliel always showed me; a piece of his memory, a little reminder of a path he would often see, yet had abandoned eleven years ago. It had been warm, harmonious. It was supposed to be only the beginning.

A few chuckles escaped from my lips.

One day… one day…

* * *

Light had been pleasantly impressed that day. At first, when he had been paired with his strange classmate, he didn't expect her to actually _cooperate._ Because that's who Ianni Hikari was supposed to be. When she opened the door to her room, only a single word came to his mind: Disorder. After a while, he would discover that nothing was actually dirty, but everything seemed to be placed in an improvised array, not making much sense. Hikari didn't have any problems in navigating her room, finding everything that needed to be found. There wasn't chaos in her room; she just had a really strange way to place things.

The air smelled like sandalwood.

The door remained open, although no sound was to be heard from downstairs. She took out her notes and book, before presenting him with a draft of her part of the essay. He couldn't really complain.

As they worked together, he noticed a couple of things, like how her hazel eyes would sometimes drift away, focusing intently on something he couldn't quite see, or how her expression would glaze over, as if lost in her own little world.

Time went fast. Way too fast. He only noticed this when Alonzo entered the room.

"Shouldn't you be going soon, boy? It's not like I want to throw you out of my house, but your parents might get a tad bit worried if I keep you here for too long."

He blinked, finally noticing the time.

"Yes, you're right." He stood up and started to pack his things up. Hikari yawned, stretching her arms behind her back and stood up.

"Alright, I'll walk you to the door."

"Actually," Alonzo started. "Your mother needs you. She can't seem to find some books and is asking you to help her." Hikari nodded. "I'll walk your friend to the door."

"Alright then. Goodbye, Light-san" She leaned closer and pressed her lips on the boy's cheeks, before taking a step back. Light blinked in confusion. It took a few seconds before Hikari realized what she had done. Her cheeks grew a bit warm, and she seemed close to a mini panic attack. "Oh, God. I'm so sorry I did not mean to do that."

Alonzo chuckled. "Confusing cultures, my dear? I think you should help your mother and go to sleep."

"Yep, that's a great idea!" She all but yelped, speed walking out of the room after she offered a last bow to her guest. "See you at school!"

Light remained a bit bewildered. At this, Alonzo snickered out loud without any shame.

"Come on, boy. Time to leave."

"Thanks for the invitation. The food was very delicious."

"Of course it was!"

Light put on his shoes, bowing one last time to the Italian man, who did the same before opening the door.

"Light." The boy stopped on his tracks as he was about to leave. "Let me ask you something."

"Yes?"

"About Hikari, how is she doing at school?"

The boy paused a bit at this.

"Shouldn't you talk to her about this?"

"I'm not talking about her grades." He dismissed. "She's not bullied, right?"

Light scratched his cheek. "I think your daughter wouldn't allow something like that." Alonzo smiled at this.

"Of course. But I worry as her father worry, you know?"

_Do you really?_

"That's normal. But I can ensure you that Hikari-san isn't suffering from abuse of that kind."

"I'm relieved to hear that. What about her friends?"

The man's smiled dropped when Light failed to answer immediately.

"…She gets along with some of our upper classmates."

"Of course she does. But they'll graduate next year." Alonzo murmured distracted, his attention being slowly drawn by a flock of birds flying above their heads. He stared at them for a while, and addressed Light one last time before turning on his heel. "Wait for me, please."

He entered the house, but returned after a minute, holding an umbrella in his hands.

"It's about to rain. Take this."

"Oh, thank you." Light took the offering, albeit a bit unsure. The weather forecast hadn't said anything about rain, had it? Alonzo grinned, as if guessing his thoughts.

"_Augurio." _The man did not elaborate. "I have a favour to ask you, boy."

Light stared at him, looking right into his deep green hues. It reminded him of the little leafy specks in Hikari's irises. Just then, he noticed the big, dark circles surrendering the man's eyes, like little black half moons. They contrasted strongly against his pale skin. Was it his idea, or did the man look less dignified than before?

As for the truth, Alonzo was just terribly tired.

"Of course."

"I know this might be a bit unfair for me to ask of you." He paused. "No, it actually is not, but it might seem unfair to you."

"Sir?"

"Could you not allow anyone to patronize my daughter, please? I know that in this society that we live in, she might seem a bit strange and not worthy of any respect, but please," The man stared with a hint of desperation. "She is a good girl. She doesn't really mean any harm. It would make very happy if I knew someone had her back when I'm not there for her."

A tight feeling started constricting Light's chest. Somehow, he didn't like the sound of that. How he had said what he said seemed just wrong. He tried to find the meaning of those words behind the man's expression, but he just seemed to be waiting.

"Sure."

A car honked in the vicinity, somewhere near, a child was screaming. A biting breeze passed by, making the leaves murmur, crawling like tiny fingers on Light's back. It was starting to get dark. Yet Alonzo's smile was so serene, so very warm, that Light didn't notice any of this.

"Thank you." He closed his eyes. "Thank you very much."

Light could simply nod. Somehow, there weren't any more words to share.

"Goodbye, Mister Ianni."

"Sorry for the ramble, boy, be save."

"Thanks." Light turned around, prepared to leave. It had been a strange night.

A certain distance had been walked, when he felt an inexplicable urgency. He still didn't know why he turned around at that precise moment. What would have happened if he hadn't.

"So itchy…" He had barely heard Alonzo complain from afar. The man was entering his house scratching somewhere below his hair.

_Below what he thought it had been his scalp. Of what he thought it had been his hair. _

He tried to turn away, feeling like he had just seen something he shouldn't have seen, but Alonzo had caught his eyes. For a moment, they just stared at each other from afar. Then, gazing sadly at him, Alonzo brought a finger to his lips.

_Shhh _

He then entered the house. Light kept going. One of the mysteries surrounding Ianni Hikari had been finally solved.

Monday came. Light found himself navigating through a see of students, going through the school's entrance, when he saw her. Hikari presence could never be ignored, no matter how much she tried to hide herself. Those who knew her, or knew about her, were always looking in her direction, murmuring and parting every time she got too close. She walked almost lazily, staring at something distant, eating tiny chocolate hearts from a plastic bag.

He suddenly had a whim.

Ianni Hikari raised her head, seemingly surprised when he walked up to her.

"Good morning, Hikari-san. How did you sleep last night?"

She didn't answer at first, giving him an uncertain smile.

"Good morning to you to. And I slept pretty good, thanks for asking." She gnawed at her bottom lip, not knowing what else to say. Amused, Light didn't resume the conversation, curious of how she would proceed. The girl finally sighed, before shoving the plastic bag in his direction.

"Do want a chocolate?"

Light smiled and took one.

"Thanks. Should we walk to class together?

Hikari seemed immediately disturbed. Light didn't know whether to be amused or offended.

"Sure?"

And thus, a strange week for Ianni Hikari, began.

* * *

**Good Lord, last year of highschool is already killing me. I can't even begin to imagine how college will be like.**

**Approvato: Approved **

**Mai: Never.**

**Felix culpa: Happy fault. ****In a literary context, the term "felix culpa" can describe how a series of unfortunate events will eventually lead to a happier outcome**

**Lascia la porta aperta!: Leave the door open.**

**Ricorda: Attendere fino a quando ti sei sposato: Remember to wait until marriage.**


End file.
